The 49ers’ must shield Brock Purdy and pester Dak Prescott in Sunday’s divisional-playoff game against the Dallas Cowboys at Levi’s Stadium.
SANTA CLARA — Standing guard inside Levi’s Stadium’s northwest gate are statues of Dwight Clark and Joe Montana, re-enacting “The Catch” from the defining moment in 49ers history. That iconic play launched a Super Bowl-winning dynasty from the 1981 season into the mid-90s.
What made Clark’s game-winning, NFC-clinching touchdown even sweeter is that it came against the Dallas Cowboys, a playoff rival dating from the 1970s and up to this Sunday. Yes, the Cowboys are in the 49ers’ way again during another Super Bowl pursuit. They’ll cap the NFL’s divisional-round playoffs Sunday at Levi’s Stadium.in the wild-card round. Both franchises are still seeking their first Lombardi Trophy since the mid-1990s . Those droughts cooled a rivalry that will seem red hot once this game kicks off at 3:30 p.m. “Last year was my first time getting a taste of it. I didn’t fully understand it,” wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk said of the 49ers-Cowboys rivalry. “Now this year, getting a second time at it, and getting to hear about the rich history between these teams and the fans, it makes it super fun.” The No. 2-seed 49ers are riding an 11-game win streak, and they’ve won 13 of their past 14 home games. The No. 5 Cowboys saunter in on a short, frequent-flyer week, having advanced Monday night with a 31-14 win at No. 4 Tampa Bay. Winner advances to next Sunday’s NFC Championship Game, which could be at home if the No. 1 Philadelphia Eagles lose Saturday to the No. 6 New York Giants . Otherwise, the Eagles host their first conference final since the 2004 season.“When I was a rookie, John Lynch and coach Shanahan made it a big deal for our class to really learn the history of the 49ers,” tight end George Kittle said. “So we watched those games, Cowboys vs. Niners, and learned a lot about the history. And being a Niner for six years, you feel that history and you get to meet all the players that played in those games and you can feel it, whether it’s their hatred or their love for those games, those rivalries.”1. BLOCK FOR BROCK The Cowboys pose the most intimidating defensive front that Brock Purdy will have faced since replacing an injured Jimmy Garoppolo six games ago, on Dec. 4. Dallas’ star attraction, no pun intended, is Micah Parsons, an NFL Defensive Player of the Year candidate most of the season. “Everyone knows about Lawrence and Parsons, but there’s not one bad there,” Shanahan said. “The way that they stunt, the way they can create one-on-ones, there’s a reason they’re No. 1 in getting to the quarterback with sacks and pressures, and it does jump off the tape.” Purdy’s shown the desired tendencies to elude pocket pressure, more often rolling out to his left and creating an off-schedule play, including for touchdowns. Since replacing Jimmy G, he’s thrown 16 touchdown passes and just three interceptions, with no fumbles on 12 sacks. Offensive tackles Trent Williams and Mike McGlinchey have overcome injury issues during the season and must be sturdy bookends, against Parsons and Lawrence . The Cowboys also showed an ability to attack up the middle Monday night against Tom Brady. Only four rookie quarterbacks have won a divisional playoff game: Shaun King , Ben Roethlisberger , Joe Flacco , Mark Sanchez . None scored more than 20 points. The 49ers are averaging 35 points per game with Purdy.Dak Prescott is coming off a 305-yard, five-touchdown masterpiece that reflected the massive contract he signed in March 2021. He’s coming in hot against a pass defense that’s been susceptible to a big play or two, especially early in games. The 49ers’ pass rush, led by Nick Bosa, must make Prescott revert to the quarterback who threw an NFL-high 15 interceptions in the regular season, even while missing five games to a thumb injury. Charles Omenihu, a Dallas-area native, had two sacks in last Saturday’s, and he had 1 ½ sacks of Prescott in last year’s playoff win at Dallas. Jordan Willis and Arik Armstead also have made key sacks in recent weeks. Dallas’ line, meanwhile, could be shuffling after left tackle Jason Peters’ hip injury Monday. The 49ers limited Prescott to 23-of-43 passing for 254 yards with a touchdown and an interception in last year’s wild-card game, which Prescott ended with a scramble and slide. He has familiar targets in CeeDee Lamb, Michael Gallup and tight end Dalton Schultz, but there is a noticeable exception: Amari Cooper, who was dealt in June to the Cleveland Browns. “It kind of helps them by trading Amari Cooper, just because you had so many people you had to get the ball to,” 49ers defensive back Jimmie Ward said. “You’ve got to justify that money . By getting rid of Amari Cooper, you don’t have to give him a certain amount of targets. “They’re still going to force the ball to CeeDee, but he’s on a rookie contract, and they want to pay him anyway,” Ward added. “They’re going to get the ball to the tight end, and he’s been doing a great job.”
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