FRISCO, Texas – On Sunday, the 42nd chapter of the Cowboys-49ers rivalry takes place in Arlington.
Dallas comes into the game 4-5 on the heels of a 27-23 win over the Indianapolis Colts that went down to the wire, and the Cowboys were able to persevere and finish late, something they hadn't been able to do in previous weeks. Now, Cowboys QB Dak Prescott and his team are looking to build on that against the 7-1 49ers.
"I think Schotty said it best after the game, the best way to learn to win is to win," Prescott said. "Last week, getting into that game the way it ended and having to go down and having to win, and defense having to get a stop, that's real. That's what games are about."
"So for me, it's about understanding that they're gonna come down to the last drive. And if they don't cool, we'll worry about that then. But expect them to come down to the last drive on either side of the ball, and we've got to go make the plays to win. Ultimately, that's what the NFL's about, and that's what makes it great. So we got to expect a four-quarter game, if not more, and plan to make the plays when they're needing to be made."
San Francisco has won four straight matchups against the Cowboys, including two playoff games. Despite some continuity from those teams onto the 2026 version of San Francisco, Prescott doesn't peek back to previous matchups to prepare for Sunday.
"I want to beat them absolutely," Prescott said. "And I'm not naive to what has happened or my history against them. But to put that on the rest of these guys or put that on the locker room, I think that's stupid. This is about us going in and getting a win. And us trying to win this game and get some momentum going and get back-to-back wins for the first time this season and build off of that."
"So, what a great opportunity to get to do it against a 7-1 team. It just so happens that it be the Niners. Obviously I want to get a win and everybody in this building does for a bunch of different reasons. But at the end of the day, it's a 7-1 team coming in here and we've got an opportunity to beat them. We've got to go do everything we can to get that done."
The Cowboys have yet to beat a team with a winning record this season, and are in need of a marquee victory on their schedule. Sunday can serve as an opportunity to spark Dallas as they head into the back stretch of the regular season.
"Having the opportunity to get them here at home, can't ask for anything much better," Prescott said. "Especially where we are and where we've been right now in our season. As I said, momentum's real. It was great to get a win last week, but this is a real chance, real challenge and a real opportunity for us to capitalize on."
The 49ers defense has been solid all around this season, coming in at sixth in the NFL in points allowed per game (19.5), third in yards allowed (291.9) and second in rushing yards (80.9).
At the middle of their defensive machine is All-Pro Fred Warner, who does it all from San Francisco and sets up a chess matchup between himself and Prescott.
"He's the best probably linebacker in the NFL right now," Prescott said. "The way he plays the game mentally of reading the splits, reading the back whether he's in the near or the far, making his different calls. They're a simple defense because he can get them in what they need to be, and they play fast and they play hard. Yeah, there's a little bit of a chess match there, but it's no different than the play callers calling the plays, and at the end of the day, it's about execution."
One thing Prescott acknowledge Dallas will have to execute better is penalties. One that has drawn attention over the course of the last week is DeMarvion Overshown's unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, where Overshown ran out onto the field after a Cowboys fumble recovery despite being inactive.
As one of the Cowboys' team captains and the largest voice in the locker room, Prescott wasn't shy about letting his frustrations be known, and upholding the standard that's been set.
"I mean, I was pissed. I spoke my mind," Prescott said. "I don't think I've ever been short or shy in a moment when it's truly, truly bothered me. That was just a big play, turnover happened and then a flag comes out. Yeah, it's just we did some great stuff there, let's not minimize it. So I'm not going to get into whose job, do I need to be the disciplinarian if others aren't, we're grown men at the end of the day. I don't think, me personally, if you need somebody to tell you what you should and shouldn't do, I don't know if this is the business for you."
Overshown said on Thursday that he since apologized to the team as well as head coach Brian Schottenheimer, and placed the blame fully on himself.
Finding a way to eliminate penalties is one of the many things Dallas will aim to do on Sunday. At 4-5, the Cowboys still have a chance in the NFC East title race, but only if they're able to find a way to stack wins for the first time this season.
"We've got to go get a win this week," Prescott said. "Everything's in front of us. At the end of the day, that's all you can ask for, is to control your destiny. And I think we still have the ability and an opportunity to do that, and I know how big this week would be. That's my focus."
