Still bitter, Dallas Cowboys ready for measuring stick showdown vs. San Francisco 49ers
Following Sunday’s 38-3 blowout of the New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott tried to be professional and say the right things about looking ahead to next week’s showdown against the San Francisco 49ers.
It will be a return to the scene of last season’s bitter 19-12 loss to the 49ers in the NFC Divisional Playoffs, a second straight year in which the Cowboys season was ended by San Francisco.
The Cowboys lost 23-17 in the wild card game the previous January.
So it’s a matchup that has been circled on the organization’s calendar since the schedule was released in May.
But it had to be put on the back burner until after Patriots game.
“This is a week-by-week basis, this focus of this team,” Prescott said initially. “This week’s preparation had nothing to do with San Fran coming up. Now that we got this game out of the way, we’re focused. We did what we were supposed to do and what we wanted to do. Now it’s about turning the page and studying the hell out of these guys [San Francisco]. Understanding who they’ve been and what this matchup has been the past couple of years.
“I’ve played them in the playoffs and we understand it’s a team, that if we get to where we want to get, we have to play them again, come playoffs. I look forward to the matchup.”
But one reporter persisted with a follow up on the bitter feeling that he had after last year’s loss.
And Prescott, who has let his guard down more than a few times this season and let his raw feelings come out, broke character.
“I mean it’s obvious. I mean we’re so far past that that to be honest with you,” Prescott began before pausing and relenting.
“That’s obvious. I mean, you just want to (expletive) me off going into this week, I appreciate that. I do actually. I do. Yeah.”
Does that loss still drive you?
“I mean every [expletive] … Every day. Every day. Every day. Every day,” Prescott said before ending the press conference with a thank you and walking off.
So much for the good feelings about victory against the Patriots, which was the largest loss in the championship career of legendary coach Bill Belichick.
It was a performance that got the Cowboys back on track for the 49ers game after a shocking 28-16 loss to the Arizona Cardinals the previous week.
The Cowboys looked like themselves again.
Their three wins have all been blowouts: 40-0 over the New York Giants, 30-10 over the New York Jets and 38-3 over the Patriots.
The combined margin of victory is 108-13 and the Cowboys forced 10 turnovers.
This should be an undefeated showdown as the 49ers have kept up their end of the bargain with wins of 30-7 over the Pittsburgh Steelers, 30-23 over the Los Angeles Rams, 30-12 over the Giants and 35-16 over the Cardinals.
It’s just a regular season game in October, but it’s also a measuring-stick game for the Cowboys, considering the way their past two seasons ended and their dreams of reaching the Super Bowl for the first time since 1995.
“Obviously, the last two years they’ve had our number,” defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins said. “So it is lot more than just a regular season game. We got to turn the page and beat them. This sucks to continue to lose these guys back to back. So this week, we’re definitely gonna be more ready.”
The loss to the 49ers last year ushered in an offseason of change for the Cowboys. Coach Mike McCarthy fired offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and took over playcalling duties.
Moore was one of eight coaches not retained from last season.
A win would be validation to how far the Cowboys have come since last season’s playoff loss and certainty show that they are on the right track.
“I just think a win against that team would just feel like you’re playing for the marbles in the NFL,” owner Jerry Jones said.
Nothing more needs to be said.
It’s here and the time is now.
This story was originally published October 2, 2023 at 7:00 AM with the headline "Still bitter, Dallas Cowboys ready for measuring stick showdown vs. San Francisco 49ers."
