San Francisco 49ers vs Dallas Cowboys: Complete Week 1 Preview for Dallas
The Dallas Cowboys kick off their regular season against the San Francisco 49ers at 4:35 p.m. ET Sunday. The fact that meaningful football is back means Sundays are finally fun again.
Done are the days of you sitting on your couch, flipping through the channels to see when the next Real Housewives is on. Now you can sit back in awe of miraculous catches, jaw-dropping hits and impossible comebacks that the NFL is known for.
Much to the benefit of the Cowboys, they may be facing the 49ers at the best time. The 49ers will be without two defensive stalwarts, Aldon Smith and NaVorro Bowman, and are not exactly clicking on all cylinders on offense.
The 49ers offense didn't look effective at all during the preseason. The offensive line, which has been one of the team's biggest strengths of the team, looked porous at times, and Colin Kaepernick wasn't sharp at all.
This will be the first opportunity for the Cowboys to prove they belong in the conversation in the upper echelon of the NFC. Beating the 49ers, who have made the NFC Championship Game three years in a row, would be an incredible start.
Read on for some news and notes, injury information and players to watch on Sunday.
Dallas Cowboys Preseason Week 4 Recap
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The Cowboys fell to 0-4 when they fell on the wrong side of a 27-3 score against the Denver Broncos. The fourth preseason game is the least important of all the preseason games because the starters don't get much, if any, playing time.
However, there were still some positive and negative takeaways from this so-called meaningless game. First off, Davon Coleman once again showcased that he will be a valued rotational 3-technique defensive tackle this year.
He has been disruptive in each preseason game; the Broncos game was no different. He has showcased a great burst at the snap coupled with a nifty spin move that has allowed him to get into the opposing backfield routinely.
Another takeaway was that the Cowboys would be in huge trouble if Tony Romo misses any time during the season. Brandon Weeden showed once again that he is an up-and-down quarterback who still makes the same mistakes that plagued him with the Cleveland Browns.
The last takeaway from the game is that Rolando McClain is getting closer to the version of himself that played for the Raiders in 2011. He routinely showed the ability to shed blockers and quickly fill his gap against the run. He was also solid on coverage throughout game against the Broncos. McClain showed once again that he is the best healthy linebacker on the Cowboys roster.
News and Notes
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Michael Sam to the Practice Squad
"#Cowboys signed Michael Sam to their practice squad. He’s expected to practice today. Was in their building this morning, physical went fine
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 3, 2014"
Michael Sam was signed to the Cowboys practice squad this week, which threw a great deal of attention on the Cowboys once again. Regardless of the media attention or Sam's sexual orientation, this was a very savvy move by the front office.
One of the Cowboys' biggest weaknesses is that they don't have many players who can generate a pass rush or give the offensive tackles a good look in practice on the scout team. Sam can potentially help that first problem in the future and help the second problem now.
Sam's playing ability can be criticized in a variety of ways, but what can't be criticized is his ability to rush the passer.
The Sam signing is a no-risk move with a potential for a moderate to high return, which is a great way to make personnel decisions.
The 53-Man Roster and Practice Squad Are Set for Now
The Cowboys' 53-man roster and practice are finally set until at least the 49ers game; however, they will both likely change throughout the season as the front office churns the bottom of the roster.
The savviest move at the roster cutdown deadline may have been the addition of former Seattle Seahawks receiver Korey Toomer.
Toomer is an extremely athletic linebacker who will likely line up at the "Sam" linebacker position. He does some things very well, whereas other Cowboys linebackers tend to struggle. He does a good job of shedding blockers—a huge weakness for linebackers Bruce Carter and Justin Durant—while also being a sound tackler.
Toomer has the ability to develop into a potential starter as early as midseason.
Who Are the Starting Linebackers?
It appears as though the Cowboys have found their starting three linebackers at least for the 49ers game. The Dallas Morning News' Jon Machota reported, "Carter says he’ll be on the strong side with Justin Durant on the weak side and Rolando McClain in the middle. 'I think Sam,' Carter said. 'JD is at Will and Rolando is at Mike.'"
Even though it took them a while, it appears as though the Cowboys found a way to get the three best linebackers on the roster to be starters. The move of Carter to "Sam" from the "Will" linebacker has the potential for a high payoff if he learns how to get off blockers on a more regular basis.
McClain is the most talented, healthy linebacker on the Cowboys roster and should be the starter at the "Mike" linebacker. He understands how to stack and shed blockers, and his incredible instincts allow him to get to the ball-carriers on a regular basis. He also may be the best coverage linebacker from the Mike position and should be an upgrade over Durant or Anthony Hitchens there.
Durant, who will likely call the plays, per DallasCowboys.com's Nick Eatman, has the athletic ability to thrive at the Will linebacker position. However, the concern about Durant is whether his instincts are good enough to make the necessary plays and if he is a sound enough tackler when he does get in the correct position.
Overall, these three linebackers look to be the best options to start for now.
Injury Report
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| Player | Position | Injury Status |
| Darrion Weems (shoulder) | OT | Out |
| Anthony Spencer (knee) | DE | Out |
| Terrell McClain (ankle) | DT | Questionable |
| Zack Martin (foot) | OG | Questionable |
| George Selvie (shoulder) | DE | Questionable |
| Tony Romo (back) | QB | Probable |
| Terrance Williams (back) | WR | Questionable |
*All injury information gathered from the Dallas Cowboys' team website.
George Selvie and Terrell McClain have been limited in practice this week, while Anthony Spencer and Darrion Weems have been the only two players on the roster not to practice.
Since Selvie is still a little bit hampered by his shoulder, he will likely play only in nickel rushing situations and a limited amount of snaps in the base defense. This also means that Tyrone Crawford will likely get the start at strong-side defensive end.
If McClain doesn't play, Nick Hayden and Ken Bishop will receive the majority of the snaps at 1-technique defensive tackle. This will likely be one of the spots the 49ers try to exploit throughout the game Sunday.
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X-Factors and Matchups to Watch
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Cowboys' Front Seven vs. Frank Gore/Carlos Hyde
The 49ers are without a doubt one of the best rushing teams in the NFL. They play a smashmouth style of football where they try to wear the opposing defense down and run the ball down their throat.
The Cowboys front seven will be the ones primarily tasked with stopping the run. During the preseason, the first-team defense had trouble stopping the run as they were gashed on multiple occasions throughout the preseason.
The Cowboys defensive linemen have to do a better job of getting penetration through their gaps against the 49ers rushing attack. Henry Melton and Davon Coleman have to be disruptive throughout the game from the 3-technique defensive tackle position.
The linebackers have to do an impeccable job of filling their gaps and shedding blockers to be in a position to tackle the bruising runners on the 49ers.
The Cowboys must also do a great job of being sound tacklers. Frank Gore and Carlos Hyde are both hard to bring down if you don't attempt to tackle them in a fundamentally sound way.
If the Cowboys want a chance to win this game, they must stop the run.
Tyron Smith/Ronald Leary vs. Justin Smith
With the injury to NaVorro Bowman and the suspension of Aldon Smith, Justin Smith is one of the two most important players on the 49ers defense.
Smith is an incredibly strong disruptive defensive end in the 49ers defense. He does a great job of occupying multiple offensive linemen, which allow the linebackers behind him to roam to the ball.
Smith will likely line up across from Tyron Smith and Ronald Leary for most of the game Sunday. Smith and Leary have to do a great job of controlling Smith in the run game. They have to make sure they play the majority of the game on the 49ers' side of the line of scrimmage.
When the Cowboys drop back, Leary and Smith can't allow Smith to walk them back into Tony Romo's lap.
If the Cowboys can control Smith and not allow him to be disruptive, then the offense will have a great chance to put up some big numbers.
Cowboys' X-Factor of the Week: Henry Melton
Henry Melton was brought in to replace the immense production that Jason Hatcher gave the Cowboys last year, and the 49ers game will be his first opportunity to do so.
Melton will be matched up with Mike Iupati and Alex Boone for the majority of the game. The good news for Melton is that Iupati didn't look like his dominate self in the preseason and Boone is likely rusty since he didn't participate in any of the 49ers offseason activities or preseason games because of a holdout.
Melton has to use his quickness to set up his pass-rush moves to get pressure on Colin Kaepernick throughout the game. Against the run, Melton needs to shoot through his gap and disrupt the timing and execution of the 49ers rushing attack.
For the Cowboys to come out of the game with a win, Melton has to have a big game.
Prediction
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The Cowboys are catching the 49ers at the perfect time. With the 49ers not clicking on offense and the impact defenders who will miss the game, this game is ripe for the taking. The Cowboys have the opportunity to start the season with an emphatic statement if they beat the 49ers.
The Cowboys' high-powered offense should have a productive game against the 49ers defense. Expect Dez Bryant to have a huge game as play-caller Scott Linehan lines him up all over the field. Bryant should be able to take advantage of whoever lines up across from him on any given play.
The Cowboys defense will have to stop the run early and often if the team expects to contain the 49ers offense. Henry Melton and Rolando McClain must do a fantastic job against the run and not allow Frank Gore or Carlos Hyde to get a full head of steam.
Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne will have their hands full with Stevie Johnson and Michael Crabtree. Carr and Claiborne will need to stay tight in coverage all game. They also must stay disciplined because Colin Kaepernick's ability to scramble will put even more emphasis on their coverage ability.
The Cowboys linebackers and safeties have the tall task of containing Vernon Davis. Dallas has had trouble with athletic tight ends, and this will be a huge test to see if the team has remedied that problem.
Overall, the rustiness of the 49ers offense will allow the Cowboys defense to be relatively successful as the team deploys a bend-but-don't-break defense. That will be all the Cowboys offense needs as it scores a late touchdown to win the game.
Prediction: Cowboys 28, 49ers 24
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