Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
The 49ers’ Path to Victory against the Cowboys
Videos are auto-populated by an affiliate. This site has no control over the videos that appear above.
The San Francisco 49ers are renewing a long-time rivalry when they travel down to Texas to face the Dallas Cowboys in a Super Wild Card Weekend matchup.
The Cowboys are a formidable opponent, earning the 3–seed in the NFC after a regular season that saw them go 12-5 on their way to winning the NFC East division title. The 49ers are going to have to bring their A-game if they hope to leave Big D with a win on Sunday afternoon.
Let's take a look at what the 49ers will have to do on each side of the ball if they hope to be victorious.
On Offense
The 49ers ended the regular season with the 5th ranked offense according to Football Outsiders' DVOA metric—the first time they have finished in the Top 5 during the Kyle Shanahan era. If you break that down even further, they ranked 5th in both rushing and passing DVOA. In other words, the team was incredibly balanced.
It's no secret that the 49ers first priority in every game is to establish the run. Kyle Shanahan's offensive system is predicated on the run game opening up opportunities for explosive plays in the passing game. In fact, according to Ben Baldwin (@benbbaldwin on Twitter), the 49ers passed only 43% of the time on early downs in neutral situations, which was the third lowest mark in the league.
Even though opposing teams know that Shanahan and the 49ers offense want to run the ball, they are still incredibly difficult to defend because the team gets to their base outside zone scheme from so many different formations. It causes opposing defenses to think first, rather than react, and it's that split second that can make all the difference in the world. It also doesn't hurt that they have the best blocking tight end, fullback and left tackle in the game.
When the running game is hitting on all cylinders, it keeps the offense ahead of the chains and in advantageous positions on third down. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo thrives in the quick passing game. His release is one of the quickest in the NFL, and when the offense finds itself in third and manageable distances, that quick release gets the ball into the hands of his playmakers in space, letting them rack up yards after the catch and explosive pass plays.
The Cowboys defense finished #2 overall in defensive DVOA, but their rush defense finished 16th. They gave up 14 rushes of 20+ yards on the season, which tied for third most in the NFL. That stat has a lot to do with the run support, or lack thereof, in the secondary.
The opinions within this article are those of the writer and, while just as important, are not necessarily those of the site as a whole.
Facebook Comments
More San Francisco 49ers News
49ers insider believes team may prefer WR Brandon Aiyuk play on fifth-year option
The San Francisco 49ers don't always do things like other NFL teams do. But they are consistent, for the most part. Seemingly every offseason, especially in recent years, a star player has wanted a new contract. From TE George Kittle and LB Fred Warner to WR Deebo Samuel and Edge Nick Bosa, the 49ers have given new contracts, but they have waited until late July-early August (and in Bosa's case—September) to do so, much to the chagrin of those players, who wanted their new deal sooner rather than later.
It may not have happened as soon as the players wanted it to, but it has happened. Kittle's contract talks reportedly weren't as smooth as he might have hoped, Samuel famously scrubbed his social media accounts of all things 49ers, and Bosa didn't sign until a few days
Ctrl+Z: 4 key decisions 49ers might "undo" if given the chance
No one is perfect. Each of us makes mistakes. I do for sure. Peruse your way through the many articles I've written for 49ers Webzone and you'll see plenty of mistakes. Whether it's a typo or some prediction I offered that didn't go as I had thought.
The San Francisco 49ers are no different. John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan have made their share of mistakes. Fortunately for all of us, they hit on more than they miss. But I wonder if we were able to catch them in a moment of complete transparency if they might admit to wanting to hit the Ctrl+Z and "undo" some moves.
I doubt they will admit to such mistakes anytime soon, but fear not—I'm here to do it for them. Yes, I could write on the best decisions
49ers express pre-draft interest in Oklahoma D-lineman Jonah Laulu
Justin Melo of The Draft Network reports that the San Francisco 49ers expressed interest in Jonah Laulu, meeting with the defensive lineman at Oklahoma's pro day on March 12.
Melo notes that Laulu is versatile enough to play defensive end or defensive tackle on an NFL defense, making him an intriguing prospect for the 49ers, who value players who can fill multiple roles.
.@OU_Football DL Jonah Laulu is versatile enough to play as a base DE or within the interior.Former Hawaii transfer, Laulu met with
Feldman Has 49ers Selecting an Offensive Tackle in the First Round
Bruce Feldman of The Athletic has released his first round mock draft, complete with insights from opposing college coaches about every prospect. Like many mock drafts, Feldman's has the Niners addressing the O-Line in the first round. Feldman thinks the Niners will select Georgia offensive tackle Amarius Mims with the No. 31 overall pick. Mims, a 6-foot-8, 340-pound junior, is a popular pick for the Niners in mock drafts,
