What to watch in Sunday’s prime-time showdown between Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers

There is a common theme coming out of the Dallas Cowboys locker room this week.

Sunday’s game between the Cowboys (3-1) and the San Francisco 49ers (4-0) is not just another game.

For the Cowboys that sentiment is based on the bitter feelings from being knocked out the playoffs by the 49ers the past two seasons and knowing that this is hill they must clear if they hope to change things in 2023 and reach the Super Bowl for the first time since 1995, ending a 28-year drought.

But the truth of the matter is that it’s never been just another game in this series and rivalry that has has some of the biggest battles in NFL history with the NFC title game showdowns in the 1990s and “The Catch” in 1981 taking on legendary status.

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy has done his best balancing the team’s emotions regarding a Week 5 matchup, but he too acknowledges the obvious.

“It’s an important game,” McCarthy said. “There is obviously a lot of tradition with this game. That’s all part of it. You live to play in these kinds of games. You dream about these kinds of games. You don’t want to make it bigger than what it is, but the reality is it’s not just another game.”

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is remains motivated and bitter by the playoff failures against the 49ers. He also knows what a win could mean for the Cowboys for the future in terms of confidence, momentum and playoff seeding in their hopes of getting to the Super Bowl.

“This games got a lot of good that can come from it,” Prescott said. “It means more than just one game. You got to treat it as one game. At the end of the day it would just be one game. But understanding these guys are undefeated, fighting for one seed, always trying to get every game that you can. You don’t go in any game, thinking that we don’t need this one or this one is as big as that one. But from a team that’s been consistent in the past few years, knocked us out of playoffs in last few years, there’s a lot that we can gain from this win that makes it definitely more than just one game.”

What to watch in Sunday’s game between the Cowboys and 49ers:

Cowboys offensive line finally intact

With left tackle Tyron Smith a full participant in practice this week after missing the past two games with a sprained knee, the Cowboys expect to have their starting offensive line together for first time since the end of the 2021 season.

The combination of Smith at left tackle, left guard Tyler Smith, center Tyler Biadasz, right guard Zack Martin and right tackle Terence Steele has never taken the field together due to injuries last season and for the first four games of 2023.

“It’s going to be great,” Tyler Smith said. “He’s a vet when it comes to the passing game, so pass pro(tection) is always gonna be solid — just having that presence. I’m confident with [whoever] is next to me, but having (him) right there is gonna be huge.”

Tyler Smith missed the first two games with a hamstring strain. Martin, Biadasz and Tyron Smith missed the third game.

But that is expected to change against the 49ers and it couldn’t come at a better time.

“This group of five has never played a game together,” Tyler Smith said. Excited to get out there and go to work. … The sky’s the limit. Obviously, we’ve gotta stay healthy. … We’re excited to get our five out there. It’ll be big for us.”

Cowboys must stop the run, contain McCaffrey

Stopping the run has been the focus of the Cowboys defense all season.

It the primary way offense play to attack them to slow down the Cowobys relentless pass rush.

That focus is even more acute against the a 49ers team that uses their run game with NFL-leading rusher Christian McCaffrey to set up everything they do on offense.

The power of receiver Deebo Samuel, with his runs out of the backfield, to go with the speed and quickness of McCaffrey will give the Cowboys’ rush defense its toughest challenge of the season.

Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons says the Cowboys must tackle well. The Cowboys held McCaffery to 35 yards on 10 carries in the playoff game.

“I think we held tight and we made him earn everything,” Parsons said. “We’re gonna have to do that again. I think the biggest thing guys know how to do is if you look at their film, you know how to make guys miss and they break a lot of tackles, extend them for 10, 15 yards. If we can just tackle, run to the football hard as hell, it’ll be a long game for both teams.”

Turnovers will be a key factor

The Cowboys can’t turn the ball over and the Cowboys must force turnovers.

Wash, rinse and repeat.

Those are they key factors for the Cowboys against the 49ers.

Quarterback Dak Prescott’s two interceptions were deciding factors in the 19-12 loss to the 49ers last January.

You can also add in the fact that the Cowboys didn’t force in turnovers, considering their defense led the league in turnovers in 2021 and 2022 and on pace to do it for a NFL-record tying third time in 2023.

“I mean, that’s huge,” Prescott said. “That’s kind of what we’re hanging our hat on to start off with and starting off this season is taking care of the ball. Defense getting the ball. When you play a team like this that has a powerful offense, that has a fundamental defense, you can’t give them any extra plays. So going to continue what we’ve been doing, cover and finishing, and taking care of the ball on our end.”

How does a Cowboys defense get turnovers from a 49ers offense that has just one fumble and no interceptions in the first four games of the season?

Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence has answer?

“GO TAKE IT. PERIOD,” Lawrence said loudly and forcefully before continuing. “Tey’ve been doing a good job of taking care of the ball this season. But how we feel over here in Dallas is we hold all the cards in our hand and we have a great opportunity to go out there and seize it man. Take it. Just like I said, take every opportunity, don’t take it for granted and go out there and take the ball from them.”

Trey Lance giving Cowboys tips on 49ers

The Cowboys were worried going into last week’s game against the Patriots about the tips former Cowboys quarterback Will Grier and running back Ezekiel Elliott would provide New England about their offense.

It didn’t matter much in the Cowboys 38-3 victory.

Heading into Sunday’s showdown against the 49ers, the Cowboys are likely using a similar tactic by picking the brain of quarterback Trey Lance, who spent the past two seasons in San Francisco before being traded to the Cowboys in August.

“Trey knows a little bit about what they’re doing,” offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said with a chuckle and a smile. “The cool thing is, like I said, the [Cowboys] know them well. I know them well from being in Seattle. Trey knows them well. Like last week, it’s kind of in good fun and humor. We all use pieces that we have in place, but we don’t go too far into it.

“We can know exactly what they’re going to do, because they don’t do too much, and they’re still really, really tough to go against just because they’re so talented. We’ll definitely talk to Trey. He knows a lot of the pieces going against them in practice, but it doesn’t always help, as we learned [vs. Patriots].”

The Cowboys put the plan into action by picking Lance’s brain about the schemes and personnel on both sides of the ball and using him as the scout team quarterback to give them a true look at the 49ers offense.

When asked how they have utilized Lance, Lawrence responded with a smile and said, “Very well.”

“He’s been very helpful, honestly,” quarterback Dak Prescott said. “Just in the way their defense can move, certain calls they may have to make if we put them in certain positions. Things you kinda see on film but getting some definitive answers from him on how they did things, he’s been very helpful.”

Lance said he is only doing his job.

“I’m doing everything I can to help,” Lance said. “But at the same time, these guys have done a lot of prep on the Niners with those big games the last two years, so they know a lot about the offense. But, I mean, I’m here now so I’m doing everything I can to try and help. Any time I can have a bigger role to help the team, help Dak out, it’s exciting for sure.”

Tony Pollard back healthy and ready to go

A key turning point in the Cowboys loss to the 49ers in the playoffs last January was an injury to running back Tony Pollard in the second quarter.

The Cowboys were driving for score when Pollard fractured an ankle. Prescott tossed an interception on the very next play.

The Cowboys had little pop on offense in the second half without Pollard, their most explosive player.

He is still disappointed about what happened in the playoffs.

“It was frustrating,” Pollard said about the injury. “Especially when I got hurt, we were in the red zone about to score on a drive. We had a good drive going and then that killed the momentum. I kinda felt like I let my team down. It hurt.”

“I was just frustrated because I couldn’t help the team and be out there to get a win.”

Pollard is back and ready to go. He will be a big part of the Cowboys game plan Sunday.

Pollard is currently the league’s fifth-leading rusher with 311 yards and he is second in attempts with 73.

“I’m always excited,” Pollard said. “It’s another opportunity to go out there and show what we can do. Last game, I was hurt and couldn’t finish it off so this is a big one for me.”