Cowboys vs. 49ers 2016 live stream: Start time, TV schedule and how to watch online

The Dallas Cowboys seem to have lucked out with the selection of quarterback Dak Prescott. That’s not to take anything away from their scouting department, but by all accounts Prescott was not their first pick and many felt he was too raw to start any time soon. In three games, Prescott has yet to blow anyone away, but he certainly looks like he could be a franchise quarterback in the future.

On Sunday, the Cowboys visit the San Francisco 49ers, which will give Prescott the chance to face a quarterback-needy team that paid little attention to him during the draft process. The game will be played in the afternoon, beginning at 4:25 p.m. ET. It will be broadcast on television via FOX, with a live stream online at Fox Sports GO if the game is being served to your area.

Fortunately, the game will be one of the nationally broadcast games on Sunday. Even if the 49ers aren’t a good team and the Cowboys will be hard-pressed to compete in the NFC East this season, these two teams have a long rivalry that always draws national attention. Never mind that Blaine Gabbert will be starting at quarterback, completely eschewing the tradition of strong quarterback play in this rivalry.

The 49ers had a bright start to their season when they bested the NFC West rival Los Angeles Rams, 28-0. They shut them out in dominant fashion and Gabbert looked like a halfway decent quarterback. But it’s all been downhill from there. There was a quarter or so where they looked fine against the Carolina Panthers, but they eventually lost that game by 19 points.

And then in Week 3, they were dominated by the Seattle Seahawks. Chip Kelly is getting a lot of flack now, and many are questioning why Gabbert is still the starting quarterback. His stats aren’t horrible, but actually watching him makes it clear that he rarely has the team in a competitive position.

The Cowboys, on the other hand, seem to be trending in the opposite direction. Without Tony Romo under center in Week 1, things looked concerning when the Cowboys narrowly lost in Week 1 to the rival New York Giants.

Since then, they have earned quality wins over Washington and the Chicago Bears. They have tough games against the Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers, and Pittsburgh Steelers on the horizon. This basically just means that the Cowboys can’t afford to lose games against opponents they’re favored against -- like the 49ers.

In place of Romo, Prescott has looked poised this season, completing 66 of 99 passes for 767 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. Rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott started the season slow, but he’s started to pick up the slack, with 274 yards and two touchdowns on the ground in three games.

This big story for the Cowboys is wide receiver Dez Bryant and his injury. He is expected to miss Sunday’s game with a hairline fracture in his knee, and if so, Prescott will lose a dominant, reliable target.