At 7-1 after routing the Raiders, the San Francisco 49ers are already being given a 65% chance of being the NFC’s top seed in the playoffs as they hit the literal midpoint of their season, facing a Dallas Cowboys team that scores and allows points in bunches. We asked columnist Ann Killion and reporters Eric Branch and Harrison Rich for their thoughts ahead of Sunday’s game in Texas.
Did the 49ers achieve what they needed to at the trade deadline?
Eric Branch: They took a fairly big swing. This was the first time they made two significant trades before the deadline under the current regime. The addition of defensive tackle DeForest Buckner fortified the defensive interior; without Buckner on the roster, the loss of promising rookie Gracen Halton to a broken ankle would have been an even bigger blow. The addition of wideout Keenan Allen addressed another need, but qualified as a bit underwhelming. They made unsuccessful runs at Jauan Jennings and Josh Downs before adding Allen, whom they didn’t sign when he was available this summer, preferring Deebo Samuel.
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Harrison Rich: To an extent, yes. The 49ers added two veterans at positions of need who will make them a better team. And they got good value on both deals, only parting with 2027 fourth- and sixth-round picks. Some people wanted John Lynch to take a bigger swing, but the asking price was clearly too high for a star; nobody ponied up for Garrett Wilson or Jonathan Taylor, two guys the 49ers were connected to. San Francisco filled two holes and will now hope for good health down the stretch.
Ann Killion: Sure. They filled their two biggest needs without sacrificing much draft capital, acquiring players that are seasoned pros. Sure, they’re both older but that means they know what it takes to jell with a team midseason and what is required for a late season push. The 49ers know how precious the opportunity they have in front of them is, and John Lynch acted accordingly.
Can Raheem Morris’ reinforced defense shut Dallas down, or should we expect a shootout?
Rich:
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Given the Cowboys’ defensive problems, the only way they can win a game against the 49ers is by making it a shootout. CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens qualify as one of the best 1-2 receiving punches in the NFL. Javonte Williams is a talented and physical running back. Dak Prescott, despite his historical struggles against the 49ers, can go off at any time. The 49ers will need to scheme up a better pass rush this week after accumulating zero sacks in two straight weeks, even if the Cowboys predictably look to get the ball out quickly.
Branch: Starting cornerbacks Deommodore Lenoir (foot) and Renardo Green (back) couldn’t participate in the first two practices of the week. Lamb and Pickens are among the Cowboys’ best players. Do you see where this is going? If the 49ers’ defensive front can’t generate enough pressure to bother Prescott and protect the secondary, watch the points soar.
Killion: The Cowboys are prolific, having scored more than 30 points five times this season, but they also lost two of those high-scoring games, and sit at an unimpressive 4-5, second in the weird NFC East. Morris’ defense is only “reinforced” depending on what position group is suffering injuries in a particular week and, as Eric points out, this week it is the starting cornerbacks. Lamb going up against backup cornerbacks could be a problem. The Cowboys are also in the top five of points allowed so a shootout is definitely a possibility.
Which 49er will deliver a big game on Sunday?
Rich: I’ll go with a less obvious name – Kaelon Black. The rookie running back has quietly performed of late after a rough five-game stretch, drawing a combined 23 carries for 133 yards and a touchdown against the Raiders and Falcons. He hasn’t earned as much recent praise as Jordan Watkins, another young skill player, but he was more efficient than Christian McCaffrey last week and had more carries and yards than him against Atlanta. He’s gaining Kyle Shanahan‘s trust. I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets 10+ touches again and turns one of those into an explosive gain.
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Branch: Have you seen the Cowboys’ defense? Pick a 49ers skill-position player. Any 49ers’ skill-position player. If forced to pick one, however, the choice is McCaffrey against the NFL’s 31st-ranked run defense. Shanahan achieved his goal of running 40-plus times against the Raiders’ leaky front seven. It wouldn’t be a shock if he had the same goal for Sunday’s game.
Killion: I’ll go with George Kittle, who has feasted on Dallas in the past, scoring more touchdowns against the Cowboys (four) than against any other non-NFC West team. In his three career games against the Cowboys, he has 10 receptions for 211 yards. But McCaffrey is also a good pick: Dallas can’t stop the run. Shanahan will have plenty of options.
Do the 49ers leave Dallas with a win, or suffer their second loss?
Rich: Players will get up for this game, even if the Cowboys aren’t the Cowboys of old. Shanahan will have a field day calling plays against this defense. There could be some early bumps, but I expect the 49ers to exit AT&T Stadium with an 8-1 record and start their long road trip on a high note. 49ers 34, Cowboys 23.
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Branch: With 84-year-old showman and marketer Jerry Jones still running the show, the Cowboys remain a team with plenty of individual talent but not really, well, a team. In other words, they might be the anti-49ers. 49ers 35, Cowboys 23.
Killion: The 49ers are starting a challenging week with their trip to Dallas. From Texas they go to Colorado Springs to acclimate to altitude before heading to Mexico City, for their second international trip of the season, which will be against the Kirk Cousins-infused Vikings, a team that hopes to battle the 49ers for the NFC’s top seed. All of that could lead one to think the 49ers might overlook the meh Cowboys. But the 49ers never, ever overlook the Cowboys. 49ers 38, Cowboys 28.
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This article originally published at 49ers-Cowboys roundtable: Who breaks out in battle between high-octane offenses?.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
