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We have arrived at week 8 of our NFL Sunday Night Football preview series. This week, we see a dramatic Dallas squad heading to San Francisco to take on a battered 49ers team. Who will win this race to 4 wins?
Will the Cowboys or 49ers add another win Sunday night? pic.twitter.com/RuVDUly1oS
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) October 25, 2024
The Dallas Cowboys enter this one at 3-3, fresh off an embarrassing 47-9 loss to Detroit. The Cowboys may average the second-best passing yards per game, but their run game and defense have been a letdown. The run average ranks as the inverse of their passing, at second-worst in the league, while their defense also allows the second-most points per game (28) in the league. The running game is especially disappointing, with the team only totaling 463 yards across all six of their games thus far. They will need to find something to complement their pass game if they intend on making a serious playoff run this year.
Dak Prescott is 4-1 in his last five Sunday Night Football games. 👀 #DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/nYtuKuPGWd
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) October 26, 2024
The San Francisco 49ers enter this week at 3-4, looking to improve to a .500 record. Despite the losing record, they rank fairly well on both sides of the ball. They rank in the top 8 in all offensive rankings, while having a respectable 13th overall defense. This team has been dealing with serious injuries on both sides of the ball all year, and that remains the same this week. Going into Sunday morning, WR Jauan Jennings, DL Kevin Givens, and K Jake Moody are all confirmed out, while TE George Kittle, S George Odum, and WR Deebo Samuel are listed as questionable, not to mention a list of others that are battling injuries but slated to play. We didn’t even touch on the fact that they have been without RB Christian McCaffrey all season (to the dismay of many fantasy players). They have done a pretty good job utilizing the next man up mentality, but the result has been a 49ers team that has not been as dominant as expected, resulting in a few unexpected losses.
Last time the 49ers and Cowboys met on Sunday Night Football?
George Kittle’s first career hat trick. 🔥 #FTTB pic.twitter.com/85KumDzEqM
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) October 24, 2024
So what are some key points to examine? What will be the game plan for both teams? The Cowboys should look to improve their running game, but I feel like the sample size is large enough to put no faith in that. The Cowboys will surely lean on the arm of Dak Prescott. It’s hard to say which way that will go with the 49ers’ good but not great pass defense, ranking 13th in the league at 205.1 passing yards per game. The 49ers will look to lean on their more balanced team to overcome their injury concerns, with their third-ranked overall offense looking to take advantage of one of the worst defenses in the league. The 49ers would seem to have the edge going into it, but if the Cowboys’ defense can step up enough and the 49ers’ injury troubles continue to bite them, anything could happen.
The 49ers have had the Cowboys’ number recently, winning the last three meetings.
Who gets the win this Sunday night? 👀 #NFL pic.twitter.com/SpKMTiXiTg
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) October 25, 2024
Stay tuned each week for our “NFL Sunday Night Football” preview series.
Howe Fresh
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