Johnathan Hankins has only been with the Dallas Cowboys since last season, after the Las Vegas Raiders traded him. He spent some time after that on injured reserve but was activated in time for Dallas' playoff bout with the San Francisco 49ers.
Hankins has heard the chatter around the locker room. His team is eager for Sunday's matchup in Santa Clara.
The 49ers have ousted the Cowboys from the playoffs for the past two seasons, and Dallas is growing weary of the recurring narrative about their struggle to overcome this one-time bitter rival. It's a rivalry that may be starting to regain some of its 90s form.
Are Hankins and the Cowboys treating the Week 5 clash of NFC titans like a playoff game?
"Most definitely," Hankins responded, per ESPN's Todd Archer. "It's always a battle going when we're going against the Niners, and obviously the last two years, they've had our number."
San Francisco beat Dallas 23-17 in the 2021 NFC WildCard Game. Last season, the Cowboys advanced a round further, only to see their campaign ended once again by the 49ers, this time with a 19-12 score in the NFC Divisional Round.
"So this game means a lot more [to us] than just a regular season game," Hankins said. "Two of the best teams in our (conference), so we've got to turn the page and beat the 49ers, man.
"It sucks to continue to lose to these guys, back-to-back years, especially when we have the talent that we have. So this week, we definitely going to be more ready and attack these guys. I definitely think this is the year we get them. We just got to be clicking on offense, defense, special teams, and win this game as a team."
The 49ers are currently favored by an early 3.5 points over the Cowboys. The meeting of these two powerhouses is set to kick off on Sunday night at Levi's Stadium.
A playoff game early in October? That's what Johnathan Hankins thinks Sunday's matchup vs. the 49ers will be like. pic.twitter.com/tHvKRlA6mx
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) October 2, 2023