7 Keys to Victory in Dallas Cowboys' Week 7 Matchup
Needing a massive win in Week 7, the Dallas Cowboys will travel to San Francisco on Sunday to take on the 0-6 49ers.
While this may look like an easy win for the Cowboys, this 49ers team has proved it can battle after losing the last five games by a combined 13 points.
Dallas will need to be focused in this one as they will be facing the brilliant mind of head coach Kyle Shanahan. The 49ers will also have a new starting quarterback in this matchup in C.J. Beathard and preparing for a QB who has played so little could be a challenge for the Dallas defense.
It's odd to call a Week 7 matchup a "must-win" game, but that's exactly what this is for the Cowboys. They desperately need a victory to jump-start their season.
If Dallas wants to take care of business on the road this weekend, these are the seven keys to victory.
Win in the Red Zone
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Let's start with something positive. Dallas has been one of the best red-zone teams in the NFL this season.
Through five games, the Cowboys are scoring touchdowns on over 66 percent of their red-zone trips, according to Team Rankings. That's good enough for second in the league, just behind the Green Bay Packers (72.23 percent).
What's more impressive is how well the Cowboys have done inside the 20s in the past three weeks. They've scored touchdowns on 10 of 11 drives (scoring a field goal on the other drive) in their last three games, according to Pro Football Reference.
However, the 49ers have one of the better red-zone defenses in the NFL, limiting teams to scoring touchdowns on 48 percent of their attempts, per Team Rankings.
Luckily for the Cowboys, they have incredible options inside of the 20s.
Dez Bryant remains one of the best red-zone receivers in the NFL and has already scored three times there this season. Dak Prescott's legs have become a weapon for the team as well, and he has rushed for two touchdowns as well.
It'll be an adjustment for Dallas but expect them to continue to dominate in the red area this week. They will need to if they want to win this game.
Cover Pierre Garcon
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The best player on the 49ers offense (and maybe their entire team) is wide receiver Pierre Garcon.
Reunited with his former offensive coordinator, Shanahan, Garcon is playing at an elite level despite inconsistent play from his quarterbacks. While he has failed to score a touchdown yet this season, he is still a weapon and the No. 1 target in the 49ers' passing attack.
Garcon is Pro Football Focus' No. 6-ranked wide receiver in the entire NFL through six weeks. With the Cowboys having one of worst passing defenses in the NFL (teams have an average of a 100 passer rating against Dallas this season), expect rookie quarterback Beathard, 23, to target Garcon early and often this week.
The 49ers move Garcon all around the field to create the mismatches they want on defense. According to Pro Football Focus, he has lined up as the right outside receiver on 170 snaps, 98 as the left outside receiver and 79 in the slot. Dallas doesn't love to move its cornerbacks, so expect Shanahan to try to target one specific cornerback as they look for a mismatch.
If the Cowboys can hold Garcon in check, they should be able to severely limit the 49ers' passing attack.
Typically, young quarterbacks are prone to stare down one receiver and that usually ends up being their top target. The Cowboys will have their hands full trying to stop Garcon on Sunday.
Block DeForest Buckner
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The 49ers don't have a great defense. In fact, it's not even average.
Through six games, teams are averaging over 24 points per game (23rd in the NFL) against them, and the 49ers are surrendering the 28th most yards per game.
And with the recent release of NaVorro Bowman and the hand injury to defensive end Arik Armstead, their defense has become even weaker.
But the 49ers do have one dominant defensive player: second-year defensive lineman DeForest Buckner.
According to Pro Football Reference, he is the second-highest graded interior defender in the league, just behind Aaron Donald. He currently has the second-most pressures (29) among interior defenders and the third-most "stops" with 16, according to Pro Football Focus' Signature Stats.
Buckner has the ability to take over games and disrupt even the best offensive lines in the league. He's a one-man wrecking crew that will look to take advantage of the Cowboys' inconsistent offensive line.
Again, this defense isn't good, but Dallas needs to make sure Buckner doesn't keep this one close.
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Don't Let C.J. Beathard Get Comfortable
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After starting the first six games of the season, the 49ers have decided to bench quarterback Brian Hoyer in favor of 2017 third-round pick C.J. Beathard from Iowa.
Beathard was inserted into last week's game in the second quarter as Hoyer failed to drive his team past midfield on any of his four drives.
The 23-year-old was able to lead the 49ers to 24 points and nearly brought the team back against the Washington Redskins. Beathard doesn't have a ton of natural tools, but he can be accurate in the short to intermediate parts of the field.
Dallas will need to pressure Beathard early in the game before he establishes any sort of rhythm or becomes comfortable in the pocket. Dallas' defense isn't complicated by any sort of the imagination, but it might be wise this week for the Cowboys to switch up some of their looks to try to confuse the rookie quarterback.
Like most rookie quarterbacks, Beathard will likely throw a few passes he shouldn't and the Cowboys will have to capitalize.
While it might seem easy for the Cowboys to breathe a sigh of relief because they aren't facing a quarterback such as Aaron Rodgers, they can't afford to take Beathard lightly if they want to go back to having a .500 record.
Limit Big Plays
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When rookie quarterbacks play, defenses typically aren't worried about getting nickeled-and-dimed all the way down the field. Instead, they are often more concerned about getting beat by one or two big plays. That's exactly what the Cowboys have to avoid this week if they want to take care of business on the road.
But creating big plays is something the 49ers have done well this season. According to Pro Football Reference, they have already created five plays of over 45 yards this season. In comparison, Dallas has just three, despite being a considerably better offense this season.
The 49ers have built their roster to ensure they can continue to make those type of plays down the field. Receivers Pierre Garcon, Marquise Goodwin and Aldrick Robinson are all big-play receivers who specialize in creating explosive plays.
However, Dallas has done a good job of limiting those types of plays this season. They have allowed just one over 40 yards this season and that was on a catch-and-run by Todd Gurley in the Los Angeles Rams' game.
The Cowboys will likely give Beathard the short to intermediate passes in this contest as they dare him to put together long drives to beat them. Whether it works remains to be seen, but expect Dallas to guard against the big plays once again this week.
Exploit the 49ers on the Ground
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Despite being 0-6, the 49ers aren't being gashed on the ground as you may have thought.
They have been in many negative game scripts where teams should have been able to run the ball often in the second halves of games, but the team has allowed the 10th fewest yards on the ground per game (94.8) in the NFL. What is even more impressive is that they are allowing just 3.4 yards per carry on 197 rushes.
With the news of Ezekiel Elliott being granted a temporary restraining order, blocking the six-game suspension handed down by the league, Dallas will have their star running back on the field in this contest.
Elliott hasn't been as efficient on the ground this season (averaging just 3.7 yards per carry), but he's rushed for over 80 yards in four of the team's five games.
Dallas will want to establish the run, so expect to see a heavy dose of Elliott early and often in this contest.
If the Cowboys can run the ball often and efficiently in this one, they should have no problem moving the ball up and down the field on the 49ers.
After the week off, expect the Cowboys to get their rushing game back on track on Sunday.
Win the Special Teams Battle
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Every week, the final key to victory for the Cowboys is always to win the special teams phase of the game.
So far in 2017, the team that wins this battle with the Cowboys wins the matchup. In Week 1, punter Chris Jones pinned the New York Giants inside their own 10-yard line repeatedly. In Week 3, Ryan Switzer was able to make an impact in the punt return game to change field position.
More often than not, though, the Cowboys' special teams unit has hurt them more than it has helped. A key muffed punt in the Los Angeles Rams game quickly turned momentum as did a "leverage" call in Denver on DeMarcus Lawrence.
With Dallas' defense struggling as much as it is right now, they desperately need to win on special teams to ensure they are winning in two of the three phases of the game.
Both teams have exceptional kickers who have combined to make 15 of 16 kicks so far this season and expect both to be great again on Sunday. T
his game may come down to who makes the fewest mistakes as field position could be a deciding factor. Like almost every game in the NFL, the team that wins on special teams will likely win this matchup.
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