Cowboys: America's Iconic Wild West Heroes

 

Cowboys: America's Iconic Wild West Heroes

Although this season hasn’t quite rekindled the fierce rivalry of the mid-1990s—when the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys faced off in three consecutive NFC Championship games from 1992 to 1994, with one of them going on to win the Super Bowl each year—the 49ers and Cowboys have been among the NFC's top teams for most of this decade. Both franchises have made the playoffs in the past three seasons, with Dallas securing 12 wins each year from 2021 to 2024. During this same period, San Francisco has accumulated 35 regular-season wins and reached the NFC Championship game annually, even advancing to the Super Bowl last season.

Last year, the 49ers were the top seed in the NFC, with the Cowboys finishing just behind them. While neither team has clinched a championship, their sustained playoff appearances have been impressive.

However, this season tells a different story. Heading into their Week 8 clash on "Sunday Night Football," Dallas and San Francisco have both underperformed. The Cowboys sit at 3-3, with three home losses by an average of 22 points each. Meanwhile, the 49ers are 3-4 and rank third in the NFC West. If the playoffs started now, neither team would qualify for the first time since 2020. So, what’s gone wrong?

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Injuries have plagued both teams. The 49ers have been without star running back Christian McCaffrey all season due to an Achilles injury. They’ve also missed linebacker Dre Greenlaw, who tore an Achilles in the Super Bowl, and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, who is out for the season. Key players like left tackle Trent Williams, receiver Deebo Samuel, and tight end George Kittle have also missed time. Samuel was even hospitalized with pneumonia last week, and receiver Brandon Aiyuk tore his ACL in the last game, ending his season.

Dallas, too, has been hard-hit, particularly on defense. Star pass rusher Micah Parsons has missed several games, defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence is on injured reserve with a foot issue, linebacker Eric Kendricks missed a game, and cornerback DaRon Bland, last season’s league leader in interceptions, hasn’t played yet this year.

While injuries are common in the NFL, both teams have suffered losses in areas where they previously excelled. Without McCaffrey, the 49ers have still run the ball effectively, but their red zone efficiency has plummeted. The Niners, who led the league in red zone touchdown percentage last season, are now ranked 27th. Their rushing defense has also slipped from third to 12th due to injuries in the middle of the unit.

 

 

 The added pressure has affected quarterback Brock Purdy, who, after throwing just 15 interceptions in his first 25 games, has thrown seven in seven games this season. His completion percentage and passer rating are also at career lows.

On the Cowboys' side, the defense has gone from a strength to a weakness under new coordinator Mike Zimmer, who hasn’t been able to replicate the success of Dan Quinn, now head coach of the Washington Commanders. Last season, Dallas was fifth in opponent yards per game, but this season, they’ve dropped to 24th, struggling particularly against the run. Their scoring defense has dropped from fifth to 31st.

Offensively, the Cowboys' decline is puzzling, as most key players remain the same. However, they have slipped from the league’s top-scoring offense last year to 20th this season, scoring nearly nine fewer points per game. Team owner Jerry Jones hinted at issues with coaching and execution, noting that while the team has young talent, it lacks the consistency that veteran players provide.

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Despite a slow start, there’s still time for both teams to turn things around and make a postseason push. But for either team to return to their recent heights would require a significant turnaround. And given how previous regular-season success hasn’t led to a championship, perhaps a different approach might yield better results for these two teams striving to dominate the NFL once again.