The 49ers are just one day away from hosting the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL playoff divisional round in what could be their biggest game at Levi Stadium.
The winner will advance to the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 29, one step closer to Super Bowl V in Glendale, Arizona.
With a classic rivalry in the books, these two teams will turn the page and write their own stories on Sunday.
Can rookie quarterback Brock Purdy lead the 49ers to their second straight NFC title? Or will Dak Prescott lead the Cowboys to another NFC title after 27 years?
Here’s what people on the internet say.
Albert Breer, Senior NFL Reporter
Pick: 49ers
Mitch Gordic, Editor
Pick: 49ers
Gary Gramling, Senior Editor
Choice: denim
Conor Orr, Senior Writer
Pick: 49ers
John Pluym, Editor-in-Chief
Pick: 49ers
Those responses came from two executives and three assistant coaches who spoke on condition of anonymity.
“The Cowboys have the ability to generate that kind of pressure and make Purdy look like a rookie and make mistakes,” the executive said. “It will come down to whether Brock is in charge of football.”
“Dallas will make life difficult, but San Francisco has too many offensive weapons,” another executive said.
“The Cowboys are very frustrated,” said one coach. “The Cowboys defense will stop the run and confuse the rookie QB.”
“The Cowboys are explosive,” said one coach who picked the 49ers. “I think Kyle will know how to attack Dan’s defense and create offense.”
Expert Picks: 49ers 3, Cowboys 2
“What to watch out for: Niners quarterback Brock Purdy has passed every test put in front of him thus far, but the Cowboys defense represents the biggest challenge for Purdy and the 49ers offense. The Cowboys lead the NFL in pressure percentage (39 percent) and ranks second this season in sacks per dropback (8.6 percent). Purdy handled the pressure well in a smaller sample, with four sacks since becoming a starter in Week 14. How he handles Dallas’ throws and he will go a long way in determining the winner in this classic playoff rivalry.” – Nick Wagner
“Bold prediction: Brett Maher will go for a 47-yard field goal to win the game against the 49ers, giving the Cowboys their first NFC championship game since the 1995 season. Buccaneers, all eyes will be on Maher. He’ll show the kicker who set a Cowboys single-season scoring record and missed just 3 field goal attempts and 3 PATs in the regular season. Now that’s bold.” -Todd Archer
Eric Moody’s picks: 49ers 34ers, Cowboys 27ers
Seth Walder’s Picks: 49ers 30ers, Cowboys 28ers
FPI Forecast: DAL, 53.2% (average improvement of 0.9 points)
“What’s crazy about this game is that it definitely has the potential to turn into an offensive shootout. It’s the highest-scoring two teams in the NFL since Week 7, mostly with both teams having that week. A big deal: The 49ers traded for Christian McCaffrey and Dak Prescott returned from injury.
“While this game could turn into a shootout, it could also turn into a defensive struggle as both teams finish in the top five with the fewest points conceded in 2022.
“The most intriguing coaching matchup in this game is without a doubt Kyle Shanahan’s offense vs. Dan Quinn’s defense. I swear anytime these two are on the same floor together, something crazy will happen. Thing. I’m sure everyone remembers the Falcons’ epic meltdown in Super Bowl LI. In that game, the Falcons’ head coach was Quinn and the offensive coordinator was Shanahan, so I think we’ll end up looking Figure out who is to blame for Atlanta’s debacle.
“The 49ers are one of the best teams in the NFL this year, but I’m still not sure how they’re going to face a good team. The 49ers have the easiest schedule in the NFL schedule this year and a half with their wins Comes from a poor division (including the playoffs, where they’re 7-0 against NFC West teams and 7-4 against other teams). Plus, the 49ers haven’t really been tested since Brock Purdy took over as the starter , because “they haven’t really faced any good teams. Purdy looked great, but he faced five teams in the regular season with a combined 35-49-1 record. ”
Pete Prisco
Choice: denim
Jason LaCampora
Pick: 49ers
Will Brinson
Pick: 49ers
Jared Durbin
Pick: 49ers
Ryan Wilson
Choice: denim
john bridge
Choice: denim
dave richard
Choice: denim
Jamie Eisenberg
Pick: 49ers
Game predictions: Cowboys 27, 49ers 26
“The Niners look like one of the most well-rounded and balanced teams in the playoff field. Kyle Shanahan devised a plan to make Purdy shine. While the Cowboys bounced off their recent wild-card slump, the 49ers The team’s defense is elite at every level and should surprise the Cowboys.”
Lorenzo Reyes: 31 for 49ers, 23 for Cowboys
“The 49ers and Cowboys are the only teams to win big in the wild card game, with San Francisco winning at home and Dallas winning on the road. Brock Purdy and Dak Prey Scott is the favorite quarterback to enter the divisional round. Nick Bosa and Micah Parsons are also the leaders in poor defensive performances, respectively.
“The 49ers are on their way to 11 straight wins and have more depth and diversity of offensive weapons around Purdy. They also have a key home and rest advantage. Christian McCaffrey and the run game give San Francisco the upper hand, and in the fourth quarter The key to easy control.”
Pick: The 49ers won 31-24 and closed the gap.
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“Michael David Smith’s Take: After watching the Cowboys dominate the Buccaneers on Monday night, I’m tempted to pick an upset here. But I do think Brock Purdy will do enough to keep the 49ers’ offense and The 49ers defense will force a few turnovers from Dak Prescott to win a low-scoring game.”
MDS Picks: 49ers 17ers, Cowboys 16ers
“Mike Florio’s take: The 49ers have a bunch of bad guys who can roll out of bed and run over a brick wall. While coach Kyle Shanahan plays it down, he knows two extra days will make The world is different, especially if Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is interviewing for the Broncos job, or he should be ready to crack Shanahan’s code instead of allowing his own to be cracked.”
Florio’s pick: 49ers at 24, Cowboys at 17
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