49ers-Cowboys roundtable: Who breaks out in battle between high-octane offenses?
The 49ers will need to scheme up a better pass rush this week after accumulating zero sacks in two straight weeks, even if the Cowboys predictably look to get the ball out quickly.
Key points
- Killion: The Cowboys are prolific, having scored more than 30 points five times this season, but they also lost two of those high-scoring games, and sit at an unimpressive 4-5, second in the weird NFC East.
- San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle catches a pass in front of a Dallas Cowboys defender at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara on October 8, 2023.
- Rich: Given the Cowboys' defensive problems, the only way they can win a game against the 49ers is by making it a shootout.
(Tom Fox/Dallas Morning News) At 7-1 after routing the Raiders, the San Francisco 49ers are already being given a 65% chance of being the NFC's top seed in the playoffs as they hit the literal midpoint of their season, facing a Dallas Cowboys team that scores and allows points in bunches.
Additional details
- Morris' defense is only "reinforced" depending on what position group is suffering injuries in a particular week and, as Eric points out, this week it is the starting cornerbacks.
- The 49ers added two veterans at positions of need who will make them a better team.
- If the 49ers' defensive front can't generate enough pressure to bother Prescott and protect the secondary, watch the points soar.
- The addition of defensive tackle DeForest Buckner fortified the defensive interior; without Buckner on the roster, the loss of promising rookie Gracen Halton to a broken ankle would have been an even bigger blow.
- He hasn't earned as much recent praise as Jordan Watkins, another young skill player, but he was more efficient than Christian McCaffrey last week and had more carries and yards than him against Atlanta.
How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →
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