Greater than 8 months have handed because the San Francisco 49ers knocked the Dallas Cowboys out of closing yr’s playoffs — simply every other in a fibre of seasons that ended too quickly. To many, it was once simply every other, regular, unsatisfied finishing.

To Dak Prescott, it was once a bundle extra non-public than that.

“It’s obvious,” Prescott stated on Sunday, when requested about remembering his closing recreation towards the 49ers. “I mean, we’re so far past that, to be honest with you, that’s obvious. You just want to piss me off going into this week, and I appreciate that. I do, actually. I do. I appreciate that.”

Now not that any one in Dallas wanted any motivation heading into their recreation later Sunday evening towards the undefeated 49ers (4-0) in San Francisco, however the recreation is way over a anticipation for revenge for the Cowboys (3-1) nearest their 19-12 loss within the divisional spherical closing yr. It’s a showdown between the NFC’s two maximum dominant groups throughout the first quarter of the NFL season.

And for the Cowboys, who’ve most commonly overwhelmed up on a comfortable agenda of groups with a blended 4-11 file, it’s the primary actual check to peer in the event that they’re the Tremendous Bowl contenders they suspect they’re.

“This is the top NFC team,” stated Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons. “I think us, Philly and the 49ers. This is a playoff game. This is something you look forward to. It’s going to be a test. It’s going to be back and forth. It’s going to go down to the wire.”

“A win in San Francisco would be magnificent,” added Cowboys proprietor Jerry Jones. “I just think a win against that team would feel like you’re playing for the marbles.”

Now not they all, in fact. It’s nonetheless handiest Future 5 and the Cowboys may have their fingers complete in their very own section with two video games after this season towards the similarly bad Philadelphia Eagles (4-0). However there are plethora marbles at stake on this prime-time recreation to peer what number of the Cowboys have in their very own bag.

To this point, there’s simply incorrect technique to inform. They’ve totally destroyed 3 mediocre-to-bad groups — crushing the Fresh York Giants 40-0, pounding the Fresh York Jets 30-10 and humiliating the Fresh England Patriots 38-3 within the worst loss Invoice Belichick has ever had as a head educator. Their protection has been smothering with 14 sacks and 10 surrenders, life Prescott has eliminate his interception-prone 2022 season and thrown just one thus far this yr.

Even if the Cowboys misplaced 28-16 in Arizona closing time — a loss this is increasingly more crispy to provide an explanation for — they’ve obviously gave the look of one of the crucial NFL’s elite groups, able to deep run via January and February. And so they’re doing it regardless of an offense that even Prescott described as “pretty efficient, but still not to our standard, honestly.”

Maximum regarding is their red-zone offense, which has develop into one of the crucial worst within the NFL. They’ve scored handiest seven touchdowns on 19 in their journeys within their combatants’ 20 thus far.

They’ll must do higher — significantly better — towards a 49ers group that has a top-five offense and protection, and one of the crucial NFL’s easiest guns in operating again Christian McCaffrey, who has 600 blended yards from scrimmage this season and 7 touchdowns.

What the Cowboys can’t do, in the event that they wish to be taken severely as contenders the extra of the way in which, is what they did closing Jan. 22 after they flew out west off a 12-5 usual season and a bulky win over Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers within the wild-card spherical. The Dallas offense was once a no-show that era with simply 282 yards. Prescott threw two interceptions, together with one within the purple zone, important to 6 49er issues. They misplaced 19-12.

Obviously, that has caught with them throughout the offseason and their first 4 video games. There were enough of unceremonious endings like that all the way through the Cowboys’ 27-year Tremendous Bowl drought. Prescott has even skilled seven of his personal, together with 4 within the playoffs.

They gained’t be capable of exorcise the ones demons till January, and so they gained’t be capable of really do it except they succeed in Tremendous Bowl LVIII. So possibly this isn’t actually “for all the marbles” simply but. However it’s nonetheless a check and a anticipation for them to end up to the sector and themselves that they’re a special group than the one who fell aside within the playoffs, that they actually are a real contender and that this yr actually is other.

They’ve been looking ahead to this check, too, ever since that lengthy flying house from San Francisco. Requested how a lot that loss drives those Cowboys, how frequently he thinks about it, Prescott had a handy guide a rough and simple solution.

“Every day,” he stated. “Every day.”

Ralph Vacchiano is the NFC East reporter for FOX Sports activities, overlaying the Washington Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles and Fresh York Giants. He spent the former six years overlaying the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in Fresh York, and prior to that, 16 years overlaying the Giants and the NFL for the Fresh York Day by day Information. Practice him Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.

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