Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
The often-depleted Cowboys secondary may have another defensive back dinged.
The often-depleted Cowboys secondary may have another defensive back dinged. Cornerback Chris Westry has suffered a knee injury on a special teams play early in Week 15’s matchup with San Francisco.
He is questionable to return.
Cowboys CB Chris Westry (knee) is questionable to return.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) December 20, 2020
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The Cowboys extend their lead to 14-0 after another recovered 49ers fumble.
Aldon Smith helped exact some revenge against his former team in the opening quarter of Sunday’s matchup with the San Francisco 49ers.
Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence started things off, then wideout Michael Gallup cashed it in a few plays later.
Lawrence hit the arm of 49ers quarterback Nick Mullens, stripping him on the third-down play. Smith managed recover the loose ball. An official review confirmed the call of a fumble, giving the Cowboys possession just outside the red zone.
Cowboys are up 7-0 and are in scoring range again after forcing a fumble.#SFvsDALpic.twitter.com/CxA6vvJWXM
— SportsBetting.com (@WeSportsBetting) December 20, 2020
It was the second fumble recovery by the Cowboys in this game, and the second game in a row in which Smith has recovered an opponent’s fumble.
On the ensuing series, tight end Blake Bell took a direct snap as the offense drive the ball toward the goal line
Cowboys QB/TE Blake Bell. Let's get weird. pic.twitter.com/Y1agQzKF8O
— Joey Hayden (@_joeyhayden) December 20, 2020
With a fresh set of downs inside the 49ers’s five-yard-line, quarterback Andy Dalton found Gallup in the back of the end zone for the Cowboys’ second score of the afternoon.
.@michael13gallup is now tied with Laurent Robinson, Preston Pearson (on a wing), Timmy Newsome, and @emmittsmith22 for the 32nd-most receiving TDs in #Cowboys history with 11.pic.twitter.com/C8j5YCyNKV
— Mark Lane (@therealmarklane) December 20, 2020
The Cowboys now lead 14-0 with over six minutes to play in the first quarter.
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Running back Tony Pollard, making his first start, has opened the scoring for Dallas with a 1-yard touchdown run versus San Francisco.
The ball has bounced the Cowboys’ way for once. After recovering a muffed punt on the 49ers’ 22-yard-line, Andy Dalton, Tony Pollard, and the Dallas offense were gifted a short field early in the first quarter.
A heavy dose of Pollard put the Cowboys inside the 5, and he finally finished off the drive with a one-yard plunge.
#Cowboys get on the board first after Richie James fumbled a punt and the Tony Pollard finishes the next drive in the endzone.pic.twitter.com/GtQOUmEsXR
— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) December 20, 2020
Cowboys 7, 49ers 0 with 9:34 to go in the opening frame, thanks to the ever-elusive takeaway.
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For NFL fans of a certain age group, a game between the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers is as good as it gets. Two teams with pasts so intertwined with one another it’s impossible to separate. It’s this line of thought that had Roger Goodell …
For NFL fans of a certain age group, a game between the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers is as good as it gets. Two teams with pasts so intertwined with one another it’s impossible to separate. It’s this line of thought that had Roger Goodell and the league salivating over a Week 15 Sunday Night battle between two teams on the precipice of big things in 2020.
Whoops. Like all things in this cursed year, it was derailed. Both teams have suffered too many injuries to list here without eating up a month’s worth of bandwidth. Still, the show must go on, though this time at an earlier and less relevant time slot. The Cowboys will play host to their longtime rivals and will be 3-point underdogs according to BETMGM.
Neither of these two have been good against the spread this year. Dallas remains the worst in the league while the 49ers have covered just five times. The problem for the home team here lies in the scheme. San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan has a way of making linebackers look silly by combining a playaction passing game with a diverse running game and despite the injuries on the defensive side of the ball they still rank No. 10 by DVOA.
The Verdict: The Cowboys fail to cover again but the over (44.5) comes through.
On the year: 5-7 against the spread, 8-4 over/under
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Dallas Cowboys vs San Francisco 49ers prediction, game preview, and fantasy player to watch.
Dallas Cowboys vs San Francisco 49ers prediction, game preview, and fantasy player to watch.
Date: Sunday, December 20
Game Time: 1:00 ET
Venue: AT&T Stadium Arlington, TX
Network: CBS
[jwplayer 3nKLsQRx]
– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions
For latest lines and to bet on the NFL, go to BetMGM
The passing game is still solid. It’s not at Dak Prescott level with Andy Dalton under center, but it’s not all that bad. The yards weren’t there against Cincinnati, but it was effective when it had its chances.
The key here is for the offense to not screw up. Dallas has turned it over four times in four games, but San Francisco is a turnover disaster with two or more in each of the last seven games and in nine of the last ten. Dallas will come up with at least two takeaways and should capitalize on both.
Nah, the passing game hasn’t been that great post-Dak.
Worse yet, the defense is a disaster, especially against the run with the league’s worst D against anyone who wants to pound away. The Cowboys have allowed 100 rushing yards or more in seven of the last eight games, and now San Francisco won’t mess around.
The passing game has been working, but the Niners will want and need to run and run some more until Dallas can stop it.
NFL Expert Picks | NFL Schedule, Predictions
RB Jeff Wilson, San Francisco
Really … you’re going to play Jeff Wilson in your playoffs? Jerick McKinnon didn’t get a lot of work last week, and Raheem Mostert suffered a concussion. Wilson only ran for 31 yards and a touchdown against Washington, but the Football Team’s run defense is nasty. You want any running back you can against this Dallas run D.
Dallas is still sort of in the playoff picture, but not really. It’ll be done after this week.
San Francisco is a hot mess at turning the ball over, but the defense should be able to rise up and be strong against the mediocre Dallas O, and the running game will rumble over the D.
San Francisco 27, Dallas 17
Bet on Dallas Cowboys vs San Francisco 49ers with BetMGM
San Francisco -3, o/u: 45
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3.5
5: Mank
1: Saved By The Bell
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As Donovan Wilson, Anthony Brown, and Trevon Diggs look set to return to action, starting safety Xavier Woods now has a groin injury.
Three members of the Cowboys’ banged-up secondary look set to make their return to the field this Sunday versus San Francisco. But another defensive back has popped up on the injury report and is a little less of a sure thing, according to head coach Mike McCarthy.
Of safety Donovan Wilson and cornerbacks Anthony Brown and Trevon Diggs, all of whom have missed multiple games, McCarthy expects them to be ready to go for Week 15.
“I would put all three of them in the same category: I’m optimistic they’ll play on Sunday,” McCarthy said during his Friday press conference. “The work has been good so far, they’ve participated in the mock game that we just had. So far, everything looks good.”
Things look a little murkier, perhaps, for safety Xavier Woods. The fourth-year Louisiana Tech product was added to Thursday’s injury report with a groin issue. He was limited in that day’s practice and was seen working off to the side.
As has become the norm, McCarthy placed heavy importance on Saturday’s work session as a determining factor in whether Woods will suit up.
“I think he’ll be good to go on Sunday,” McCarthy told reporters, “but we’ll see what he gets done in practice tomorrow. Just being smart with him.”
This season has been particularly hard on the Dallas defensive backs, with a rash of injuries creating a revolving door among cornerbacks and safeties. As Rob Phillips pointed out on the team’s official website, “Through 13 games, the Cowboys’ top four corners – Chidobe Awuzie, rookie Trevon Diggs, Anthony Brown and Jourdan Lewis – have yet to be active in the same game together.”
The yearlong secondary shuffle has necessitated the elevation of several practice squad players, too; Saivion Smith and Chris Westry suddenly found themselves on the field this past Sunday against Cincinnati.
Woods has missed just three games out of 61 thus far as a pro. But just because he’s been out there doesn’t mean he’s always been a difference-maker. In a season where many fans and analysts alike have openly criticized the effort and hustle of the Cowboys defense, Woods made himself the poster child for half-hearted play back in early October.
When asked about effort, Woods said, “The effort’s been good. On certain plays, some guys- I mean, me included- there may be a lack. But overall, the effort is there. We’re in the NFL. You don’t expect guys to [go] full speed for 70 plays; that’s not possible.”
According to Pro Football Reference, Woods was allowing the third-highest passer rating before last Sunday’s showdown with the Bengals.
Even still, Dallas would no doubt prefer to have their starter ready to go this week to complement the expected return of Wilson, Brown, and Diggs.
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Also, the most experienced McCarthy team ever, all-time W-L records in the NFC East, and four positional battles to watch at Cowboys camp.
The NFL preseason has never had so much hype. After scrapping the annual Hall of Fame Game between the Cowboys and Steelers, the league announced it planned to call off two games from every team’s summer schedule on Wednesday. But as of Wednesday night, the player’s union had reportedly not agreed to that yet, and was even calling into question whether there should be any preseason games at all in 2020. The exhibition games no one ever cares about are suddenly the top story in the sport.
Also worth noting in Cowboys Nation are looks at the Dallas roster in terms of experience, as well as what they could steal from having watched another club’s recent successes. There’s a deep dive into sack stats and how O-line play and QB skills both factor in. We’ve got video of Cowboys rookies showing off their moves, and a preview of several compelling camp battles at certain key positions. 49ers fans are reliving the day they denied the Dallas dynasty, but Cowboys fans are tallying up the total wins to determine an all-time division leader. Here are your News and Notes for July 1.
Just hours after word leaked that the league would drop two preseason games for each team from the preseason schedule, NFL Network’s Mike Garofalo and Tom Pelissero report that the Players Association has not come to any decision on the move. In fact, “there are some within union leadership who continue to question whether it’s a smart move to play any preseason games at all.”
Pray they don’t alter it further. The Cowboys are now down a total of three (of a scheduled five) preseason games, though one was even more meaningless than the rest.
One issue with the two-game preseason slate from players’ perspective: Some could have just 23 days from report date to first preseason games. Not much of a ramp-up. Then there’s the exposure risk in games that don’t count in the standings. A lot to discuss over next couple days.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 1, 2020
When thinking of experienced teams, the default is to focus on the quarterback. Interestingly enough, scribe Rob Phillips points out that only 12 quarterbacks in the current NFL have more starting experience than Dak Prescott. Time flies.
Sturm fires back at Jon Machota and drafts basically the entirety of the 90’s dynasty that won three Super Bowls in four years. It’s a sound strategy, to be honest.
Under the CBA, the NFL may elect to hold a supplemental draft each year. The matter was discussed with the NFL Management Council Executive Committee, and in light of current conditions, the decision was made not to hold one.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 1, 2020
The 49ers-centric SB Nation blog does a trip down memory lane with one of the greatest rivalries the sport had to offer. Unsurprisingly, they focus on the 1994 NFC Championship- where the Cowboys spotted San Francisco 21 points yet still managed to make the game close late- instead of the previous two losses. There’s no accounting for taste.
Is Dak Prescott’s ability to stay alive for long-developing plays a product of the usually-stellar offensive line in front of him… or his own athletic skills at the position? Our Tony Thompson dives in to the stats.
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb looks pretty good. pic.twitter.com/HRiSiONtTt
— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) July 1, 2020
The Dallas Cowboys drafted cornerback Trevon Diggs in the second round.
He looks pretty good. pic.twitter.com/hg9hpfcFao
— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) July 1, 2020
This is pure speculation at this point, and for some teams it seems nearly impossible. It’s unclear how players would have to deplane after a long flight and start playing almost immediately.
Look for veteran Joe Thomas and promising second-year man Luke Gifford to duke it out on the linebacker depth chart. Darian Thompson and Donovan Wilson will compete in the secondary. Trysten Hill looks to prove his doubters wrong as he battles rookie Neville Gallimore along the defensive line. And Joe Looney gets competition from newbie center Tyler Biadasz.
Since all 4 NFC East teams have been in the league, guess which team has the most wins? And it's not even close. pic.twitter.com/gR9oIun8c7
— Dan Rogers (@DannyPhantom24) July 1, 2020
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