If he's great, Dallas becomes dangerous. Which pass rush gets home? Bosa is the Defensive Player of the Year favorite with his 18. 5 sacks and propensity to come up with massive game-changing plays. Bosa had 13 games with at least 1. 0 sack in 2022 (tied for second most all-time), plus two forced fumbles with one fumble recovery, including playoffs.
1 in fewest big plays allowed. 2 rush D. 2 in turnovers forced. 4 in yards per play. Tied-ninth in sacks. Prescott could pivot things in the Cowboys' favor by rifling passes through a secondary that can give up yards. Dallas should pull a script from the Seahawks last week. Seattle grounded the Niners' run D and supplemented it with shot plays. The combo worked until Geno Smith turned it over twice, and the Niners deluge took effect. Prescott can light up any defense when he is on, making pinpoint throws in tight spaces. When he's off, well, it can look a lot like Week 18 in Washington. I'd like to see Kellen Moore get Prescott on the boot-action early to test the edges of the Niners defense and help slow Nick Bosa and the rush. It's clichГ© to say it all comes down to the quarterback. But Sunday, if Prescott stumbles, the Cowboys will have no shot.
San Francisco is 6-0 with Purdy starting. Four of the six have been runaway blowouts. Since becoming the starter in Week 14, including playoffs, Purdy leads the NFL in passing touchdowns (14), yards per pass attempt (9. 4) and passer rating (121. 4). The rookie has shown the ability to make plays out of the structure of the offense, something San Francisco didn't get much of with Jimmy G under center. Yes, there are still hills to climb.
Dallas' 8. 3 sack percentage trailed only the Eagles in 2022. Last year, when Dallas faced the Niners in the postseason, Parsons rushed on just 10 of 56 snaps. This season, Parsons rushed on 48. 5 percent of his snaps, per Next Gen Stats. San Francisco is about to face a whole different Parsons than it saw a year ago. If the Cowboys are to bamboozle Purdy, it'll be because the defensive front caused havoc.
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Purdy has guzzled gallons in the nascent stage of his career. He will have a stiff test against a Cowboys pass rush that can discombobulate even the most veteran of passers, as it did versus the 45-year-old Tom Brady on Monday night. But if Purdy keeps his head on, there are plays to be had against the Dallas secondary. Dak Prescott must be great. If the Cowboys are to make it to their first NFC Conference Championship Game since the Bill Clinton administration, Prescott needs to dazzle. Let's be frank, the Niners enter the game with most of the advantages. No. 1 defense in yards allowed. 1 scoring defense.
San Francisco 49ers vs Dallas Cowboys live score & H2H
Purdy tends to bail backward too often under pressure and has missed a handful of throws high. But his ability to bounce back from first-half struggles in the Wild Card Round displayed mental fortitude from the rookie. Kyle Shanahan's scheme helps the young quarterback plenty. Last week, Purdy threw for 179 pass yards to wide-open receivers (as defined by five-plus yards of separation), the third-most in a playoff game by any QB in the Next Gen Stats era. Shanahan can lead any QB to water, but they must drink.
Even when he's slowed for stretches, when the Niners need a play, Bosa delivers. Add in Arik Armstead's freakish ability in the middle and a surging Charles Omenihu, and the Niners can make life miserable for Prescott. On the flip sits Micah Parsons and a Cowboys pass rush that led the NFL with a 34. 3 QB pressure percentage, including playoffs.
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