NFL Week 12 Picks: 49ers @ Cowboys

San Francisco 49ers @ Dallas Cowboys

Sunday, Nov. 23 - 1:00 PM

After opening the season with a respectable 2-1 record, the 49ers stumbled, tripped, fell, and casually walked up to the ball with time dwindling, to lose six straight games.

In the midst of that epic slide, the 49ers made some changes which seem to be working—Coach Nolan was replaced by assistant head coach Mike Singletary and QB J.T. O'Sullivan was benched and replaced by backup Shaun Hill.

In the three games since Singletary has been named head coach, the 49ers should be 2-1 (but are actually 1-2 because they blew the Cardinals game). The team finally looks like a respectable NFL team and is playing at that caliber.

The Cowboys are a different, yet very similar, story. As the preseason favourites to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, they began the season off with the right foot forward—a 3-0 record, a QB averaging almost 300 yards per game, and a running back averaging almost 100.

But then the world stopped for the 'Boys.

Tony Romo broke his pinkie Week Six at Arizona and was going to have to miss four weeks. After starting 3-0, the Cowboys went 2-4 and, at 5-4, had sole possession of last place in the NFC East.

Week 11 was different, though.

Coming off their bye, Romo was back and ready to start a new chapter in this season's book. They started it out the right way again, defeating their NFC East rival Redskins 14-10 on the road. The Cowboys are looking to continue this run and hopefully make it to the playoffs.

But in order for any team to make it to the playoffs, they have to be able to put up solid offensive and defensive stats.

Points Per Game
49ers Offense vs. Cowboys Defense - 23.0 (14th) vs. 22.9 (19th)
Cowboys Offense vs. 49ers Defense - 23.0 (13th) vs. 27.5 (29th)

Rush Yards Per Game
49ers Offense vs. Cowboys Defense - 109.5 (17th) vs. 105.6 (15th)
Cowboys Offense vs. 49ers Defense - 115.9 (13th) vs. 106.8 (16th)

Pass Yards Per Game
49ers Offense vs. Cowboys Defense - 205.9 (17th) vs. 188.0 (7th)
Cowboys Offense vs. 49ers Defense - 226.3 (10th) vs. 234.9 (25th)

Total Yards Per Game
49ers Offense vs. Cowboys Defense - 315.4 (21st) vs. 293.6 (9th)
Cowboys Offense vs. 49ers Defense - 342.2 (11th) vs. 341.7 (21st)

It's important to remember that these stats are for the season. 49ers QB Shaun Hill has only been starting for two games and the Cowboys were without Romo for three games. Romo has averaged 270 passing yards per game, which is very different than the Cowboys' season numbers. Similarly, with Romo in the Cowboys have averaged 27 points per game.

With these stats and the Cowboys knowing that virtually every game is a must-win in order to salvage their season and make it to the playoffs (as owner Jerry Jones has guaranteed his fans), I do not think that the 49ers can beat Dallas at home.

Dallas over the 49ers.