Two of the best squads in football are on a collision course with the 49ers and Cowboys looking to fight for NFC supremacy on “Sunday Night Football.”
After a strong performance against the New England Patriots last week, Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn talked about how important it is for his unit to find its groove before it can keep up with the 49ers’ explosive offense.
“They have [New England] “I have a big line, two strong defenders, and when we came in we thought that was definitely one of the ways they would attack,” Quinn said. “That was certainly the formula for San Francisco.” You can see the effectiveness of their start not only in the run game, but also in scoring and finishing. Surely [Christian] McCaffrey was certainly at the top of that list. We’re definitely going to have a lot of work to do, so I’m still planning, but it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
There will be no shortage of star power when these two units face off, as the Cowboys defense and 49ers offense each feature four All-Pro players.
Quinn enthusiastically explained that this blockbuster matchup features a rare combination of dynamic playmakers for both teams.
“It’s fun,” Quinn said. “They play a system where players play multiple positions and so do we. They have wide receivers that can play running back, running backs that can play wide receiver, we have some linebackers that can rush, some that can go back and forth, some safeties that can go downfield. There’s going to be all kinds of fun matchups in this game and there’s going to be a lot of late nights and a lot of studying because they really push you to prepare and we’re going to do everything. We have a group that moves people and does it the same way, so I think there will be some fun matchups to see in the game.”
Dallas currently leads the league with 10 forced turnovers, while the 49ers are tied for the lead with just one turnover.
Quinn discussed the importance of creating a lead against a team that rarely makes mistakes and how the battle against turnovers could be the deciding factor in this game.
“They’re really aware of it,” Quinn said. “I’ll take care of the ball too, I think they only have one.” [turnover] for the entire season so far. That just shows how they train it and how they care for it. Both offenses are very good at this in terms of handling and aggressiveness. Ours and theirs. So I think that will be the turning point in the game if we can take one out or get one, but they’ve done a good job and that’s certainly shown in the first four games.”
Quinn also noted how physical the 49ers’ wide receivers are in the run game, highlighting Brandon Aiyuk’s spectacular downfield block that enabled a long touchdown run in San Francisco’s win at Pittsburgh in Week 1.
“I think I just know Kyle’s life [Shanahan] Nature, they want to attack the entire field. So their wideouts are certainly behind. If I remember correctly, they played a long run against Pittsburgh and I can remember a receiver diving offside and getting a block, and that shows the competitive nature of the group. It’s going to be two tough, tough units going head to head and it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
The Cowboys defense ranks first in points allowed and second in yards allowed, while the 49ers offense ranks third in points scored and second in total yards allowed.
You can expect fireworks from both sides, but only one of these top five units will leave Levi’s Stadium victorious.
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