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The Dallas Cowboys secured a place in the Divisional Round of the NFC postseason for the first time in five seasons by controlling Monday night's Wild Card matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, winning 31-14.
After the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Seattle Seahawks by a score of 41-23 in their own Wild Card game last time, they are now scheduled to host the Dallas Cowboys.
The Dallas Cowboys hadn't triumphed away from home in a postseason game since 1992 before their victory over the Buccaneers. The 49ers, who took first place in the NFC West, aim to make it to the NFC Championship for the third time in four seasons. The Niners upset the Cowboys 23-17 in the Wild Card Round last season but have lost seven of their last ten encounters overall.
The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Buccaneers and Tom Brady. However, the 49ers have significantly more offensive alternatives, notably Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, and George Kittle.
The Dallas Cowboys can beat the 49ers and any team when everything is going well for them on both ends of the field. It's not just a theory; they've demonstrated it this year in routs of the Minnesota Vikings and Indianapolis Colts. And the Cowboys' brilliance in the wild-card round proved it.
Dalton Schultz and CeeDee Lamb received down-the-field darts from an electric Dak Prescott. Additionally effective in the running game was Tony Pollard.
Although the quarterback, Dak Prescott, was nearly faultless in that game, he might not find the 49ers as welcoming.
But there are several areas where the Cowboys can do better before they play against the Niners, particularly their kicking. A regrettable NFL milestone for Brett Maher's credentials is that he missed his first four extra-point attempts in that game. A stronger opponent could have made them pay for those misses.
The Dallas Cowboys have to keep an eye on Brock Purdy and his receiving corps
Due to injuries sustained by first-choice quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance, youngster Brock Purdy has taken over in San Francisco and performed flawlessly. Purdy had a quarterback rating of 107.3 in nine regular-season games while tossing for 1,374 yards, 13 points, and only four interceptions.
In the Wild Card Round victory over the Seattle Seahawks, he played his best game, completing 60% of his throws for 332 yards and three scores. That was the first time he'd passed for more than 284 yards.
Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel are the leaders of Purdy's potent receiving group. The Cowboys must find a method to take all of these guys off their games to have any shot at winning the game.
