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In the eyes of many NFL observers, the San Francisco 49ers currently wear the crown of the league's finest.
The 49ers have ousted the Dallas Cowboys from the playoffs in each of the last two postseasons, setting up a pivotal Week 5 matchup between the two NFC heavyweights. Even though it's just a regular-season game, a win over the team that has repeatedly dashed their postseason hopes would be deeply meaningful for the Cowboys.
It's an opportunity for Dallas to prove they are true Super Bowl contenders.
"I look at it as we know they're one of, if not the team that is playing the best right now," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said this week on 105.3 The Fan, per
Logan Mullen of Audacy. "They're solid in their personnel, so they're one of the best teams. A win against them would be inspiring; it would be substantive, so it's just what it is. We are going to have to go by them beginning Sunday, and if we have aspirations, I think we'll have to go by them again later in the year."
The 49ers currently stand as one of the last two undefeated teams (Eagles), fresh off a commanding 35-16 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. The Cowboys, meanwhile, are also coming off an impressive win themselves, pummeling the New England Patriots 38-3 on Sunday, making amends for an unexpected Week 3 loss to the Cardinals.
Head coach Kyle Shanahan admitted this week that the Cowboys present a tough challenge, likely the 49ers' toughest of the season. The coach was asked why he believed that to be the case.
"
Just how their pass rush [is], how fast they play," Shanahan responded. "I mean, [defensive coordinator] Dan Quinn is as good as anyone at the D-line. Just in general, I think one of the biggest tests for every team in the NFL is how much better you get each game because the lack of practice and stuff that big people get in the season compared to what it takes to be ready. It's just not enough.
"And no one's ever there in Week 1, especially up front, run blocking, pass blocking. You need a lot more reps of that to get better as a unit. That's why it's so important that, in these games, the more games you can stay healthy and the more games you can play together, usually you get better throughout the year."
San Francisco will host Dallas this weekend at Levi's Stadium. The 49ers are currently 3.5-point favorites.
"Make no mistake about it, they're a tremendous team," Jones continued. "Outstanding defense, and will challenge us as much as anybody that, frankly, we've been challenged with this year or any other year. They've certainly got that. Frankly, we need to worry about execution and worry about ourselves and not so much what they are. Because they are right now probably the most likely team to go win the Super Bowl. But in order for them to get there, they've got to go by us, hopefully, two times if that's the way it falls in the playoffs, and we're in the playoffs, of course.
"But the bottom line is you're playing the best. You don't need the game to tell you you're playing the best, but you need the game to show you how you stack up against the best."
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It took nine years, but the San Francisco 49ers finally got some payback on Thursday night for the Seattle Seahawks feasting on turkey after a win at Levi's Stadium in 2014.
The Seahawks' 19-3 win over the 49ers on Thanksgiving in 2014 was the last time either team played on Thanksgiving before Thursday night, and after that game then-Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and cornerback Richard Sherman dug into the postgame turkey at the 50-yard line of Levi's Stadium at a time when the rivalry between the two teams was at a peak. The 49ers flipped the script on Thursday, notching a 31-13 win over the Seahawks at Lumen Field in Seattle that was followed by a slew of 49ers getting their fill of Thanksgiving turkey, courtesy of NBC.
"That was a moment I'll remember
Sitting at 10-1, the Philadelphia Eagles own the NFL's best record. They are set to host the San Francisco 49ers in a highly anticipated NFC Championship Game rematch on Sunday in front of a rowdy Lincoln Financial Field crowd. Despite the Eagles' five-game winning streak, the 8-3 road-team 49ers are currently favored by three points.
Oddsmakers might be favoring the 49ers because of how they have won games recently. Bouncing back from a challenging October, the team is now on a three-game winning streak, dominating opponents with an average margin of victory of 20.7 points.
In contrast, the Eagles have secured victories with a more modest average margin of 4.8 points over their last four games, including an overtime win against the Buffalo Bills on
This Sunday features one of the most anticipated matchups of the season. The San Francisco 49ers (8-3) will travel to face the Philadelphia Eagles (10-1) in a rematch of last season's NFC Championship Game. The Eagles are riding a five-game winning streak, while the 49ers have won three straight since stumbling through October.
Fans have had the Week 13 matchup circled on their calendars since the schedule was released in May.
"We know everybody's going to be riled up for this game, and we just got to stay level-headed and just go out there and play Niner football," wide receiver Deebo Samuel told Kay Adams on Tuesday morning.
Any loss leaves a bitter taste, but a playoff loss is particularly devastating. Samuel, who has been to the NFC Championship
The San Francisco 49ers improved to 8-3 on the season after a 31-13 Week 12 win over the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington.
Below are several statistics and notes from Thursday's game, which were provided by the 49ers Communications staff.
With the Win...
San Francisco improved to 3-2-1 all-time when playing on Thanksgiving Day.
The 49ers have won each of the previous 3 regular season matchups against the Seahawks, including winning consecutive road games against the Seahawks for the first time in franchise history.
San Francisco has won 10-consecutive regular season games against NFC West opponents, which ties the Seattle Seahawks for
