Cowboys' victory against 49ers hinges on Dak Prescott, says legendary Michael Irvin - "He has to get this monkey off his back"

Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys are on a collision course in the NFC with the San Francisco 49ers when they meet in what promises to be a superb game on "Sunday Night Football."

For most, the Cowboys (3-1) have all the tools needed to beat Kyle Shanahan's team (4-0), but one question mark hanging over Dak Prescott is whether or not he can be the reason Dallas wins.

In the previous two meetings, Prescott didn't have his best game, and that, as a result, sent the Cowboys packing in the playoffs. But in this Week 5 game, he gets a shot at redemption.

Regardless of the result, there will still be plenty of Prescott detractors, but Cowboys legend Michael Irvin knows what is at stake for the Cowboys, and in particular, Prescott. Irvin says the game is all about Dak proving he can defeat the juggernaut that is San Francisco.

“Dak Prescott has to get this monkey off his back, just like Steve Young had to get that monkey off his back," Irvin said on NFL GameDay. "It comes down to this: You're going to win this game, and then they're still going to say, 'Well, you got to do it in the playoffs.'

"That's just it Dak, you got to win this game and not get no credit. But don't worry about that. You will get into playoffs, but you got to win this one now and show the team that they can win before you get to the playoffs.”

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Big implications for Dak Prescott and Cowboys against the 49ers

NFC divisional playoffs: Dallas Cowboys v San Francisco 49ers

There is so much more riding on this result for Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys. If they beat the 49ers, it will show not only to the NFL world but to themselves that they can indeed match up with the best.

This will be important in the postseason as there is a fair chance that both teams will meet again at some stage. By winning Sunday, Dallas will feel good about its chances should they meet in the playoffs.

But lose, and suddenly things get tougher, especially mentally.

If Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys lose, then they will again have that mental barrier that they can't beat San Francisco, and if the pair meet in the postseason, that mental hurdle can be hard to overcome.

There is also the matter of playoff seeding as the 49ers will have the tie-breaker over Dallas. That could mean the San Francisco 49ers could have a better seeding and home-field advantage in the playoffs.

There is a lot riding on this result, but it is more about Dak Prescott showing he can slay this demon in prime time with the whole world watching.