Dak Prescott shook off some late-season struggles and once again looked in top form in Dallas’ playoff opener. Brock Purdy looked just as good as he has ever since stepping in as the starter in San Francisco, part of his improbable journey from seventh-round pick to playoff quarterback. With both QBs coming off impressive games in the wild-card round, the Cowboys (13-5) and 49ers (14-4) look like offensive juggernauts heading into Sunday’s matchup in the divisional round.
Prescott threw for 305 yards and four TDs and ran for another score in Dallas’ win at Tampa Bay, setting a franchise by accounting for five TDs in a playoff game. It was a far cry from the way Prescott ended the regular season with 11 interceptions in his final seven games. While Prescott getting back to peak form should be of little surprise, Purdy’s performance this season has exceeded expectations. The player picked last in April’s draft has played like a star since replacing an injured Jimmy Garoppolo in Week 13. Purdy has thrown at least two TD passes in seven straight games and has won all six starts while running an offense filled with playmakers like Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and George Kittle, behind a solid offensive line. Jimmy Garoppolo may be on the verge of returning if the 49ers beat the Cowboys this week but how can San Francisco justify sitting Brock Purdy at this point?
The Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers will meet in the playoffs for the second straight year after one of the league’s most historic rivalries took more than a quarter-century postseason break. This will be the ninth time these franchises have met in the postseason all-time, tied for the most of any matchup in the Super Bowl era with San Francisco against Green Bay and Dallas against the Rams. Dallas had won five of the previous eight but lost 23-17 to San Francisco in the wild-card round last year, a loss that still stings Cowboys fans after the Cowboys let the clock run out on a controversial QB draw play call.
On concern that Dallas Cowboys fans will have after a nearly flawless performance last week is the kicking game. Dallas kicker Brett Maher was backed by owner/general manager Jerry Jones, coach Mike McCarthy and special teams coach John Fassel after missing his first four extra points against the Bucs. That was the first time that a kicker missed 4 extra points in a single game in NFL history. That didn’t stop the Cowboys from signing Tristan Vizcaino to the practice squad as insurance. Cowboys fans hope that Brett Maher can bounce back and that this game is not decided by a missed field goal or point after attempt. The club has until Saturday to decide whether to put Vizcaino on the 53-man roster. The decision was largely contingent on how Maher responded in practice after his meltdown. He did make the fifth PAT against Tampa Bay, ending a streak of five consecutive misses going back to his final attempt of the regular season in Washington.
On the injury front, Cowboys safety Jayron Kearse said there was a “100 percent” chance he was playing after injuring a knee against the Bucs. He was held out the rest of the game as a precaution with the Cowboys comfortably in front when the injury happened. Kearse figures to be an important piece for the Dallas defense against George Kittle, Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel et al.
Another factor in this game is the NFL playoff schedule. The 49ers got a two additional days of rest after beating Seattle on Saturday, while Dallas didn’t play its wild-card game until Monday night. While the discrepancy seems unfair on the surface, both teams downplayed the impact of the 49ers having the extra rest. At this time of the year, it’s about bringing your A game, executing the game plan, and being prepared . This Dallas Cowboys team has dealt with adversity all year long and I do expect them to continue to do so on Sunday evening .
*Photo by Joe Glorioso https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/legalcode