In this Week 8 matchup of the NFL’s prime time schedule on Sunday night, the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers, both in search of a crucial win, will face off for the fourth time in as many seasons.
The recent history has favored San Francisco, who has claimed victory in the last three encounters, eliminating Dallas from the playoffs in tightly contested games in 2021 and 2022, and dominating them with a 42-10 win on October 8, 2023.
However, both teams have undergone significant changes since then.
The 49ers are struggling with injuries, notably with running back Christian McCaffrey sidelined due to an Achilles injury, wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk out for the season with a knee injury from last week’s loss to Kansas City, and wide receiver Deebo Samuel
recently hospitalized. Meanwhile, the traditionally strong 49ers’ defense is now mid-tier in terms of total and scoring defense, partly due to injuries to linebacker Dre Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufanga. The Cowboys, allowing 28 points per game and ranking 31st in the NFL for scoring defense, might see the return of Pro Bowl linebacker Micah Parsons.