The Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers will resume a rivalry that ran the NFC for much of the 80’s and 90’s. The two teams combined for eight Super Bowls and met in the postseason three years in a row in 1992, 1993, and 1994. Since then they’ve experienced little success.
The Dallas Cowboys haven’t reached the NFC Championship game since they last won a Super Bowl to end the 1995 season. The 49ers have reached the Super Bowl but fell short to the Ravens during the “Harbaugh Bros Blackout game.”
The two franchises are in different places at the moment.
The Cowboys are a young team that is set up to contend with newly crowned franchise Quarterback Dak Prescott leading them to a 13-3 record in 2016 and the NFC’s top seed. The 49ers are also a young team, but are missing the franchise quarterback it takes to become a perennial contender.
As we get ready for week seven, let’s dig into the stats.
By the Numbers
The Dallas Cowboys, during the regular season, sit with a record of 12-15-1 all-time against the San Francisco 49ers. While Dallas has been on the losing end more during the regular season, they own the matchup when it counts most with a 5-2 record in the postseason.
1
After the Dallas Cowboys had their bye week in week six, DeMarcus Lawrence still remains first in the NFL in sacks with 8.5. He is on pace for a record 27 sacks on the season and needs to average 1.3 sacks a game to break the single season sack record of 22.5 by Michael Strahan.
3
The largest margin of victory for a San Francisco 49ers opponent in their last five games. Aside from the week one blowout at the hands of the Carolina Panthers, San Francisco has been very competitive. Their five losses since are by a combined 13 points.
3.4
The San Francisco 49ers only allow 3.4 rushing yards per carry, which has them tied for fourth in the NFL. That said, they’ve also allowed the 13th most rushing yards to this point. The 49ers should be an interesting test for the Dallas Cowboys rushing offense, which has rushed for 4.7 yards per carry as a team. That number is good for fifth in the NFL.
3.7
However, Ezekiel Elliott is only averaging 3.7 yards per carry. That number is 31st among running backs with at least 40 carries.
4.2
Carlos Hyde’s yards per carry so far this season. Dallas opponents are averaging 4.6 yards per carry. Hopefully with Lee and Hitchens coming back, this should be less of an issue.
With Sean Lee Cowboys give up 87 yards per game rushing and 20 points. Without its 164 rushing and 35 points per.
— Patrick Conn (@PatrickConnCFB) October 20, 2017
5
Among running backs, Ezekiel Elliott is fifth in the league in yards from scrimmage per game at 105 total yards/game.
10
After five weeks, Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott now sits 10th in the NFL with a passer rating of 93.1. Notable names which Prescott is ahead of include Russell Wilson, Philip Rivers, Eli Manning, Matthew Stafford, Jameis Winston, Matt Ryan, Cam Newton, and Ben Roethlisberger.
11
Teams in the NFC who have three or more wins through the first six weeks of the season. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the only other team to play five games and not have three wins in 2017. The AFC only has nine such teams.
13
Dak Prescott’s total touchdowns so far this season. His 11 passing touchdowns has him seventh in the NFL. His two rushing touchdowns is tied for second among quarterbacks. The league leaders in QB rushing touchdowns are Cam Newton, Jacoby Brissett, and Marcus Mariota, each with three.
Prescott is on pace for 41.6 combined rushing and passing touchdowns.
14
San Francisco’s sack total. They are led by 33-year-old Elvis Dumervil who has 3.5 sacks in a limited role off the bench. That number is good for 15th in the NFL. Dallas is seventh in the NFL in total sacks with 16.
17
Dallas has scored 17 passing and rushing touchdowns combined. Compared to the 49ers who have only scored 10. For perspective, the Kansas City Chiefs lead the league in total offensive touchdowns with 21. The Miami Dolphins are worst in the league in that category with only five total offensive touchdowns.
21
Pierre Garçon, who leads the San Francisco 49ers in targets, receptions, and yards has 21 more targets than number two for the 49ers, Marquise Goodwin. Garçon is averaging nine targets a game and has yet to score a touchdown.
25.9
Brice Butler’s yards per reception leads all receivers with more than two receptions on the year. Among players with eight or more receptions, Butler’s number is more than four yards better than the next best; the Carolina Panthers’ Ed Dickson. Butler’s had a huge impact so far this season in a very limited role.
26.4
Dallas’ 26.4 points against is the fourth worst number in the NFL. Only the New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans, and Indianapolis Colts are worse in scoring defense.
27
Jason Witten’s team leading receptions have him on pace for 86.4 catches in 2017, which would be the most he’s had since catching 110 passes in 2012. He hasn’t had 80 catches since then.
50
Jason Garrett’s winning percentage coming out of a bye week. He’s 3-3 over the six years of his tenure as the Cowboys head coach in which he was the coach before, at, and after the bye. In that time, four of the bye weeks have come in weeks five-seven, each lost except the last one in 2016. Both byes in the second half of the season were won.
52.78
In C.J. Beathard’s first game action as a rookie relieving starter Brian Hoyer, he only completed 52.78% of his passes en route to the loss. The plus side for the 49ers is that they had a chance to win the game, only falling by two points.
62.6
Dak Prescott’s completion percentage, which has been steadily rising over the last few games, should continue to see an uptick. The San Francisco 49ers have allowed their last four opponents to throw for more than 280 yards each game.
109
Among the six players on the Dallas Cowboys who have more than 100 yards receiving, Cole Beasley is sixth with 109 receiving yards. Ahead of him are Dez Bryant, Jason Witten, Terrance Williams, Brice Butler, and Ezekiel Elliott. That’s not something I expected to see after five weeks.
142
The total amount of first downs the San Francisco 49ers defense has allowed through six games. It’s the third worst total in the NFL, which equates to 23.67 first downs per game. They have allowed the sixth most first downs through the air and the third most on the ground. Dallas should be able to move the ball.
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Want to know where the Inside The Star Staff falls on the game? Check out our weekly picks.
And as always, LET’s GO COWBOYS!!!
