Week 5’s Cowboys-49ers clash has been circled on the league’s calendars since schedules were first announced. Anticipated by most observers to be one of the highest-profile games of the year, the showdown in Santa Clara will have no shortage of star power… or subplots.
San Francisco is rolling with a 4-0 record, though they have yet to meet an opponent as tough as Dallas. The Cowboys will also face their stiffest test of the young season, coming in with a 3-1 mark and sky-high expectations for the 2023.
Both teams are putting up plenty of points, but Dallas is doing so with a lot of help from their havoc-wreaking defense. For the Niners, Christian McCaffrey once again leads the way both on the ground and as a receiver as quarterback Brock Purdy continues his improbable ascension.
The defenses feature a who’s who of talent, and viewers shouldn’t be surprised if this clash of NFC powers ends up being a low-scoring affair.
What’s certain is that the 40th installment of this storied and bitter rivalry brings plenty of juice, with players in both locker rooms well aware of what this early-October meeting could mean for both teams somewhere down the line.
Because, in case you haven’t been reminded in the last five minutes, the 49ers have already ejected the Cowboys from the postseason bracket in back-to-back seasons.
Here’s what some of the stars from both squads are saying about this massive battle in the Bay.