Dallas Cowboys vs San Francisco 49ers
Sunday, January 22
FOX, 6:30 ET
Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA
First Thought Instant Analysis: I’m still not buying that Brock Montana can keep doing this.
Brock Purdy was magnificent in the win over Seattle, and he sure as shoot doesn’t play like the moment is too big for him, but at some point this fever has to break, doesn’t it?
He hasn’t had to outduel anyone like Dak Prescott.
Tua Tagovailoa … okay, maybe. No, I’m not giving you Tom Brady – actually, I am, but that Buccaneer offense was so mediocre.
Jarrett Stidham? Geno Smith twice – with all due respect to the most accurate passer in the league? David Blough? But Purdy doesn’t play defense, so …
Who has this killer San Francisco defense gone against that’s anything like what Dallas is bringing? Kansas City lit this bunch up like a Christmas tree that’s still cranking in mid-January in my neighbor’s living room for all to see.
I might change my mind on this when the real prediction and preview goes up. For now, 1) Dallas is the better team. Really. 2) Dallas was handed the awful break of a short week. It played Monday night. San Francisco played at home on Saturday.
The 2.5 days of extra rest over a team that played 3,000 miles away – a MASSIVE unfair break considering Buffalo is a 2 seed and didn’t get that cookie – will be a huge deal.
First Thought No Research Prediction: San Francisco 24, Dallas 20
Early Line No-Look Guess: San Francisco -5
Actual Line: San Francisco -4, o/u: 46
NFL Playoff Divisional Round First Thought Predictions
– Jacksonville at Kansas City
– New York at Philadelphia
– Cincinnati at Buffalo
– 2023 First Mock Draft: Post Wild Card
[protected-iframe id=”361699434b6d70baf15f631ed2408ac1-97672683-92922408″ info=”https://www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js” ]
– Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews & @PeteFiutak