The San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys are set to meet in the playoffs for the second consecutive season after the former defeated the latter 23-17 in the NFC Wildcard round in 2021.
This time, the two teams are meeting in the NFC Divisional Round, while playing at Levi's Stadium, although it's clear that the energy between the sides will be similar.
Speaking to reporters earlier this week, quarterback Dak Prescott did not shy away from acknowledging that he and the Cowboys wanted to play the 49ers after their loss last season.
"Most definitely I [wanted the 49ers]. I think this whole team did. Obviously, using that loss last year as a motivation," Prescott said. "The focal point of the resiliency that we carried into the offseason obviously carried into this year. We get a chance to go back at their place and do something that we wanted to do."
Even prior to their game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Prescott admitted that the loss was still on his mind as motivation for 2022.
Cowboys QB Dak Prescott on if the playoff loss to 49ers last year is still on team's mind as motivation: "Damn right. Damn right. And obviously, after a game like last week, that helps remind you." pic.twitter.com/YWg81HDtQK
His fellow teammates have reciprocated the same feeling.
Cowboys guard Zack Martin admitted that the 49ers got the better hand in 2021, while acknowledging that it would be a physical matchup.
"It's no surprise... they got after us pretty good last year," Martin said. "[The 49ers] do a great job of coming off the ball and really trying to set a tone for the game, and I think that's something that we like to do, too. So it's going to be a physical game, and we've got to come out ready to play from the first snap."
After having just one catch against the 49ers in their playoff bout in 2021, wide receiver Ceedee Lamb is looking to improve, understanding that he fell short as well last season.
"I feel like I could be more impactful this year for sure, but [the wildcard game] definitely wasn't one of my best performances," Lamb said. "I grew a lot, just from learning and seeing a lot of things in that last game, and as far as [how I felt at the end] of the game. I felt terrible, obviously, because we lost, but I wasn't productive enough."
The two teams will battle on Sunday, with physicality likely playing a factor in the outcome as it did in 2021.
Podcast: 49ers with Grant Cohn: Are the 49ers the favorites in the NFC with Trey Lance?
By Rohan Chakravarthi
Mar 24
Rohan Chakravarthi and Grant Cohn discuss whether the 49ers are favorites in the NFC after free agency.
The audio for the show is embedded above, while the video is available below.
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You can listen to "The Rohan Chakravarthi Show" from our
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By David Bonilla
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Mike McGlinchey received a life-changing payday, signing a five-year, $87.5 million deal with the Denver Broncos. The offensive tackle has known for a while that he would not return to the San Francisco 49ers, the only NFL team he has played for and the one that made him the No. 9 overall pick in 2018.
General manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan made it clear to McGlinchey that he was likely playing his final months for the team. There was too much money invested in other spots, and the 49ers knew they couldn't compete with other interested teams.
Behind the scenes, Lynch and Shanahan kept McGlinchey in the loop of what the team was thinking, and everything pointed to the tackle playing elsewhere in 2023 … maybe even
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Purdy is recovering from surgery to repair the tear of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow, an injury sustained in the NFC Championship Game against the Philadelphia Eagles. He hasn't been seen since the surgery, with his last public appearance taking place In Arizona, during the week leading to the Super Bowl.
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The #49ers signed OT Matt Pryor, general manager, John Lynch said. Prior has appeared in 60 games with 24 starts over four seasons with Philadelphia and Indianapolis.— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) March 27,
