Cowboys vs. 49ers: Previewing San Francisco's Preseason Week 2 Matchup

The San Francisco 49ers are getting ready to square off in their second matchup of the 2015 NFL preseason versus the Dallas Cowboys.

This particular contest, which is slated for 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, will feature a 49ers team that dropped its preseason opener to the Houston Texans 23-10. On the other side, the Cowboys lost a road matchup at the San Diego Chargers 17-7.

Despite their first loss of the preseason, the 49ers had some positive takeaways they'll be looking to replicate and develop against the Cowboys.

San Francisco enjoyed some stellar play from depth players such as nose tackle Mike Purcell and running back Jarryd Hayne last weekend. An early goal-line stand was also a promising sign from a revamped defense.

But the 49ers also struggled in other areas. The offense had just one third-down conversion in nine attempts, and Houston shut out San Francisco in the second half.

Look for head coach Jim Tomsula to try to rectify these areas of concern as the 49ers get ready to host their rivals from the Lone Star State.

Location: Levi's Stadium; Santa Clara, California

Time: 8 p.m. ET

TV: KPIX 5 (local)

News and Notes

Jarryd Hayne's Big Night

Rookie running back Jarryd Hayne provided one of the major boosts to San Francisco's losing effort in Houston.

The former Australian rugby star rushed for 63 yards on five attempts. But the biggest breakout moment came on a 53-yard run in the second quarter.

"He’s a premier athlete in the world in space," head coach Jim Tomsula noted, per Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News. "It seems like everybody’s surprised. I’m not."

Despite the strong showing, Tomsula also stated that Hayne has a long way to go before ensuring himself a spot on the 53-man roster.

Still, Hayne's abilities out of the backfield and on special teams will continue to be a spectacle for NFL and rugby fans alike. 

49ers Trade for OL Jordan Devey

San Francisco thinned up its crowded tight end position on Tuesday when general manager Trent Baalke shipped off second-year tight end Asante Cleveland to the New England Patriots for offensive lineman Jordan Devey.

Cleveland would have been buried behind fellow tight ends Vernon Davis, Vance McDonald, Garrett Celek, Derek Carrier, Xavier Grimble, Blake Bell and Busta Anderson. The trade should free up more reps for supporting cast members of this position to compete for San Francisco's depth chart.

Devey will reinforce the O-line, but he likely won't be high on the depth chart given his pro-level struggles, per Jeff Deeney of Pro Football Focus.

It's feasible Devey doesn't even make the 53-man roster. But San Francisco would, at least, have someone who can handle a lot of the preseason reps without risking injury to O-line starters and their immediate backups.

WR Jerome Simpson to be Suspended for Six Games

The NFL has handed out new San Francisco wideout Jerome Simpson's suspension.

The 49ers will be without Simpson—who violated the league's substance-abuse policy a year ago—for the first six games of the regular season, per Inman.

Inman also reported that both the troubled wide receiver and the front office were aware a suspension was likely.

"The probability of a suspension was known when we signed Jerome," general manager Trent Baalke said in a statement. "Since joining the 49ers, Jerome has proven to be a great teammate. ... We are in full support of the NFL's decision and look forward to Jerome's future contributions to our organization."

Without Simpson, the 49ers will look to other wide receivers to fill the void during this span. Receiving targets such as Bruce Ellington, Quinton Patton and rookie DeAndrew White are all possibilities to take over the No. 3 spot.

Latest Injury News

Uncredited/Associated Press

Defensive back Jimmie Ward has been nursing a lingering foot injury throughout camp.

NFL teams are not required to list injury reports during the preseason, which makes this slide a little difficult to compile.

But here's the latest that can be determined.

Did Not Practice (per John Dickinson of 95.7 The Game)

• WR Bruce Ellington (leg strain)
• LB Philip Wheeler (strain)
• DT Glenn Dorsey (strain) 

Physically Unable to Perform (from last week)

• C Daniel Kilgore (leg) 

Non-Football Injury/Illness

• LB Michael Wilhoite (leg)
• WR DeAndre Smelter (knee)

Second-year pro defensive back Jimmie Ward is slowly returning to practice with a specialized shoe insert, per Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area. The hope is that he does not further aggravate a foot injury that sidelined him for the second half of the 2014 season.

Maiocco also reported that San Francisco activated inside linebacker Nick Bellore from the NFI list on Wednesday and fellow linebacker Michael Wilhoite isn't far behind.

Linebacker NaVorro Bowman sat out last Saturday's game versus Houston despite reports that he would play in the preseason opener. Whether or not the standout linebacker will suit up against Dallas will depend upon his recovery process as he continues to rehab following his devastating knee injury suffered in the NFC Championship Game two seasons ago.

Key Matchups

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

How will Dallas' new-look running game pan out against San Francisco's defense?

49ers Run Defense vs. Cowboys Ground Attack

San Francisco had an impressive goal-line stand against the Texans last week, and this unit will look to build on that momentum against the Cowboys.

For Dallas, the running game will no longer center on running back DeMarco Murray, who signed with the Philadelphia Eagles during the offseason. Instead, the Cowboys will look to get production from backs Darren McFadden, Joseph Randle, Lance Dunbar and Lache Seastrunk.

McFadden and Dunbar are both nursing injuries that could keep them out until the start of the regular season, per CBS Sports.

In the meantime, San Francisco's run defense will look to prevent the same sort of gains that Texans running back Alfred Blue enjoyed last Saturday—an average of 6.6 yards per carry.

LBs Corey Lemonier and Aaron Lynch vs. Cowboys Pass-Blockers

Third-year pro linebacker Corey Lemonier got the start against Houston and finished the game with zero tackles and one pass batted down at the line. Per Dylan DeSimone of CSN Authentic, he put in a so-so performance but still remains in full evaluation mode.

Lemonier got the start over standout linebacker Aaron Lynch in Houston. Lynch had been nursing a back injury, according to Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area.

Lynch is clearly the better option than Lemonier to replace former 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith's pass-rushing abilities. The second-year veteran tied for the team lead with six sacks in 2014. 

Lemonier has just one over his career.

The 49ers will be looking to re-establish a strong pass rush with Smith no longer in the picture. And Lynch appears to have continued with his pass-rushing ways in practice, per Maiocco.

Offense and Defense vs. Third Down

Third down was an issue for the 49ers on both sides of the ball last week.

On offense, San Francisco converted just one third-down attempt on nine tries. Defensively, the 49ers allowed nine third-down conversions on 17 attempts by the Texans.

That will need to change.

NT Mike Purcell vs. Cowboys O-Line

One of the standouts from the 49ers' loss in Houston was nose tackle Mike Purcell. The two-year pro registered six tackles—one of which was for a loss.

Despite a missed tackle on San Francisco's first defensive stand, Purcell quickly emerged as one of the defensive forces throughout his playing time over the night. And he was an instrumental figure in keeping Houston out of the end zone on its second offensive possession.

Purcell described the opportunity, via Tyler Emerick of 49ers.com:

"

They had gotten in the end zone once already, so whenever they get us backed up we have to grind. We had to make sure they didn’t get in, no matter how many times it took. It was a good defensive effort as a whole to make sure we kept them out of the end zone.

"

The defensive tackle is looking to make his mark on the 53-man roster. The defensive line is a deep group, though, and Purcell still has a long way to go to ensure he's part of the team in Week 1.

Matchup X-Factors

49ers X-Factor of the Week: RB Jarryd Hayne

Former Australian rugby star Jarryd Hayne made an impact in his NFL debut against Houston—you can view his 53-yard run in the above video.

The Hayne bandwagon may be growing exponentially, but the fact remains that he has a long way to go in order to ensure a spot on the 53-man roster. The international sports star is already buried deep behind running backs Carlos Hyde, Reggie Bush and Kendall Hunter on the presumed depth chart.

And head coach Jim Tomsula was quick to downplay the hype following Saturday's effort.

But we cannot ignore Hayne's five-carry, 63-yard effort, plus his solid work in the return game. With the rookie back striving to figure out a way to the roster, Hayne should be a player to watch versus Dallas.

Hayne will likely be mixed in with second- and third-team players and go up against a similar Cowboys cast. Therefore, it is difficult to gauge what his abilities will be if he makes it onto the regular-season roster.

Yet one thing is for certain: Hayne is fun to watch when he touches the ball.

Prediction: Cowboys 21, 49ers 17

LM Otero/Associated Press

The 49ers knocked off the Cowboys in Week 1 of the regular season last year.

Sunday's matchup between the Cowboys and 49ers will mean little in terms of wins or losses, net statistics or outcomes. Like the majority of the preseason, this week's contest will focus more on determining the depth chart and figuring out which players survive the cut.

But there is still pride on the line. And coveted roster spots.

These two rivals will square off to get the best of each other while answering some of their individual preseason needs.

Odds Shark predicts the final score as 29.6 to 17.6 in favor of Dallas. Yet the 49ers defense should focus on limiting the Cowboys offense—especially on third down—over the course of the game.

San Francisco can afford a low-scoring game. The defensive line is still deep, and it will be interesting to see the various combinations of linebackers thrown out on the field by Jim Tomsula. Perhaps some of the younger members of the secondary, such as cornerbacks Keith Reaser (24) and Kenneth Acker (23), will have some promising preseason moments.

On offense, continuity and rhythm will be the focal points for the 49ers. This was problematic against Houston, and the lone third-down conversion on nine attempts doesn't bode well.

Still, we should expect this game to be much closer.

Dallas may pull off the meaningless victory. But what needs to happen are resolutions to issues seen last week and the ongoing development of positives emanating from San Francisco's initial preseason effort.

Final Prediction: Cowboys 21, 49ers 17

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and ESPN.com unless otherwise indicated.

Peter Panacy is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, covering the San Francisco 49ers.

Follow him @PeterPanacy on Twitter.