Post by Matt Meyer | @Bluto51 on Twitter
Fun Monday night in Tampa as the Cowboys beat the Buccaneers 31-14 to advance in the NFL Playoffs. First postseason win for Dallas since 2018, and only the fifth postseason win in the last 27 seasons. First road win in the playoffs in 30 years. Cowboys/49ers on Sunday at 5:30 with a trip to the NFC Championship game on the line.
After a slow start, Dak Prescott may have played his best game of year, considering the circumstances. Prescott went 25-33 for 305 yards and 4 TD’s, and most importantly, no turnovers. That’s the kind of performance, albeit against a defense that’s seen better days, that can win a lot of games. You could tell how impressed Troy Aikman was with Prescott’s field vision and decision making. If you can impress Aikman, that’s saying something. Good for Prescott. There’s an incredibly high standard for QB play in Dallas, and his game the other night met that standard. However, it only gets tougher going forward.
Cowboys scoring drives:
7 plays, 80 yards, TD
15 plays, 80 yards, TD
11 plays, 91 yards, TD
8 plays, 86 yards, TD
9 plays, 66 yards, TD
7-13 on third down, 2-2 on fourth down, 26 first downs, 31 points (with 4 missed extra points).
That’s dominant offensive football.
Good to see Tony Pollard reenergized with 15 carries for 77 yards, and as a team Dallas ran it 35 times for 128 yards and a score, a 4th down keeper around left end by Prescott. Cowboys’ last TD came on a fourth down as well, a brilliantly designed and executed play to CeeDee Lamb. The play was so well executed that immediately after Prescott let go of the ball, you can see Dalton Schultz signaling touchdown because he knew Lamb was all alone behind him. Schultz had a terrific game too, catching 7 passes for 95 yards and 2 TD’s. Lamb had 4 receptions for 66 yards and the score, while Michael Gallup caught 5 passes for 46 yards and a TD on a pass that went right through a defender’s hands.
Brett Maher. Yikes. Guy’s a good kicker and has had a good year. I can’t imagine his confidence being that high right now. Dallas added K Tristan Vizcaino to the practice squad should they decide to make a change. Jimmy Johnson once said that he had a kicker tell him that he had lost his confidence. Coach Johnson made a change immediately. Next couple days of practice will decide who kicks on Sunday.
Cowboys played pretty well defensively against the Bucs. Tom Brady threw for 351 but it took him 66 passes to do it. Even though the game was a blowout, a big play in the game happened on Tampa’s third drive. Dallas had just taken a 6-0 lead, and the Bucs drove 70 yards to the Dallas 5. On 2nd down, as he was pressured, Brady tried to throw the ball away but he didn’t get nearly enough on the throw, and Jayron Kearse was in the right place to pick it off in the end zone. Ensuing drive, the Cowboys go 80 yards in 15 plays, Prescott converts the 4th and goal around left end, and the rout was on. Tampa didn’t even try to run the ball, confusing to me since Leonard Fournette had his best game of the season against Dallas in Week 1. Bucs would’ve had to put it all on Brady eventually, but I didn’t understand them not at least trying to run the ball, especially as off as Brady was. He’s the greatest to ever play, but he missed a lot of open receivers the other night.
So, hello old friend. Cowboys/49ers Sunday at 5:30, winner goes to the NFC Championship game. Niners have won 11 in a row, the last 7 of which with Brock Purdy at QB. The last pick in last year’s draft has played better than anyone could’ve imagined, completing 67% of his passes for over 1,300 yards, 13 TD’s and only 4 INT’s. Kyle Shanahan has done a fantastic job of scheming and putting Purdy in the best situations to succeed, not asking him to do too much. Be smart, high percentage throws, and get the ball to Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, among others. The 49ers offense really is fun to watch, unless it’s your team’s defense on the other side. Getting McCaffrey from Carolina is one of the best midseason acquisitions that I can remember. Looks like his old self.
Defensively, the Niners are elite. 1st in total defense, 1st in points allowed, 2nd against the run. Nick Bosa led the league in sacks with 18 1/2. Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw is as good a LB tandem as there is. Charvarius Ward is an outstanding CB. S Tashaun Gipson has 5 picks and 141 return yards off of them. There just aren’t very many weaknesses with this San Francisco team.
Key to the game for the Cowboys I believe is to do everything you can to stop the run and pressure Purdy. Yes, I’m well aware of what Samuel, Aiyuk, and Kittle can do if left 1 on 1. However, unlike the Buccaneers, the 49ers are more than willing and capable of running the ball right down a defense’s throat, which would attack the Cowboys weakness. It’s pick your poison against these guys, but best case is to limit the run and pressure Purdy to try to force him into mistakes.
Prescott will have to play every bit as well this week as last, and the Cowboys must account for Bosa, probably leaving a RB in to help in pass pro. Every inch that Dallas can gain on the ground is gold because these guys are tough to run against. Third and long against the league leader in sacks just doesn’t sound very fun.
49ers have been rolling as much as anyone over the second half of the season. Their roster stacks up with anybody’s, including the Eagles, Chiefs, and Bills. I know I’m normally pessimistic when it comes to the Cowboys. I even picked them to lose last week. Dallas played terrific against Tampa, but this is a bird of a different feather. The road ends here.
San Francisco 30 Dallas 20