The 2014 NFL season is officially underway, with one game in the books and a slew of others happening on Sunday. One such game will see the San Francisco 49ers take on the Dallas Cowboys in a matchup between two old rivals. Of course, the rivalry isn't as heated as it was when Steve Young and Troy Aikman were playing, but it's always a big deal when these two teams play.
49ers vs. Cowboys 2014 game preview: Colin Kaepernick hoping for fast start to SF offense
The San Francisco 49ers will try to get a lethargic offense kickstarted against the Dallas Cowboys’ poor defense.
One team is clearly in better shape than the other based on recent history, but anything can happen at this point in the NFL. Aside from the Seattle Seahawks (1-0) and Green Bay Packers (0-1), everyone is on equal footing at the moment.
While the 49ers are in a better position than the Cowboys at this point, the Cowboys have won the last three meetings between the two teams. Of course, those meetings occurred in 2005, 2008 and 2011, while the 49ers have only recently turned things around. The 49ers have some significant issues with injuries and disciplinary action on their hands, so the Cowboys making it four straight wouldn’t be the strangest thing to happen.
Let’s take a look at the two teams:
Meet the Cowboys
The Cowboys have finished 8-8 for three consecutive seasons, and have just missed the playoffs in a relatively weak NFC East in all of them. It seems like a miracle they made it close in 2013, given how poorly the defense played. We can write about its failings for a long, long time and it would still be impressive.
Dallas allowed a league-worst 415.3 yards per game, the third-worst since the NFL-AFL merger. And if it's even possible, that unit has regressed over the course of the offseason. DeMarcus Ware is now with the Denver Broncos, while Jason Hatcher signed with Washington. There are also the injuries to linebacker Sean Lee and rookie defensive end Demarcus Lawrence, making it easy to suspect the Cowboys will be relying on the offense this season.
Fortunately for Dallas, that offense features quarterback Tony Romo and other big names like wide receiver Dez Bryant and running back DeMarco Murray. Romo's name is a punchline due to some ... unfortunate snap issues, but he's been a consistently strong passer for years now. He'll find Bryant and tight end Jason Witten plenty this year, and he'll likely open things up early against the 49ers to test their defense.
Meet the 49ers
San Francisco has come far under head coach Jim Harbaugh. Three NFC Championship appearances in three years is a big deal, but they’ve lost it twice and fell in the Super Bowl the other time. This year, the team seems to have improved on one side of the ball and clearly regressed on the other, though it’s not due to players leaving the team.
The 49ers' defense took a big hit when NaVorro Bowman tore his ACL against the Seahawks in the aforementioned NFC Championship in 2013. It's unclear how much time he's set to miss but smart money is on it being half a season at least. Michael Wilhoite is a capable backup, but the Cowboys will see that as a weak spot on defense.
Then there's outside linebacker Aldon Smith, who will miss nine games due to a suspension; Dan Skuta and Corey Lemonier will fill that void. It's still unclear what's going on with Ray McDonald, who should be active but may not play as much as he usually would due to a domestic violence incident that the team and league are currently investigating. In other words, there are plenty of question marks on the defensive side of the ball.
On offense, Colin Kaepernick now has Michael Crabtree, Anquan Boldin, Stevie Johnson and Vernon Davis among his receiving options, and then there's Frank Gore at running back. Despite these big names (sans Johnson), the 49ers have struggled to produce on offense. A game against Dallas' league-worst defense might just be the unit's chance to build some confidence.
Injuries
The 49ers do have a significant injury on the offensive side of the ball: offensive tackle Anthony Davis, the starter on the right side, is out with a hamstring injury. He did not participate in practice on Friday and he was declared out shortly after. Jonathan Martin will be making the start in his place. After Davis, there's wide receiver Michael Crabtree, who has a calf injury and is questionable. It would be a big surprise if Crabtree missed the game, though.
For Dallas, Anthony Spencer is out with a knee injury as expected, and some big names are appearing on the injury report in Romo and wide receiver Terrance Williams. Romo has a back injury and is probable -- he'll definitely play. Williams also has a back injury he sustained on Wednesday and is questionable, but like Romo he's also expected to play.
Follow the Fun
Cowboys:
49ers:
Odds
The 49ers opened as 2.5-point favorites, but the line has increased, with some books favoring them by as much as 4.5 points, according to OddsShark.
Next week
The Cowboys will hit the road to take on the Tennessee Titans on Sept. 14. The 49ers will play their first-ever regular season game at Levi's Stadium against the Chicago Bears on the same day.
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