Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys vs. Niners: Four Pregame Thoughts on Week Four

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The Dallas Cowboys will face of with old rivals, the San Francisco 49ers, in Week 4. Here are four thoughts prior to what should be a very interesting game.

Sep 25, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert (2) talks with a teammate during the fourth quarter against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field. Seattle defeated San Francisco, 37-18. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

The Dallas Cowboys are heading into Week Four as they battle an old adversary in the San Francisco 49ers.

The team will answer a lot of questions about themselves and their offensive unit as they are likely to be without star wide receiver Dez Bryant for this game.

It will be interesting to see how the Cowboys respond as they may have to dig deeper than ever before to pull out a win in what is seemingly a trap game.

#1. Can the 49ers offense best the Cowboys defense?

Another interesting matchup will be the Cowboys defense versus Blaine Gabbert and the 49ers offense.

San Francisco has struggled to score points on the offensive side of the ball and if not for a running back named Carlos Hyde they may have not won a game all season long.

If the Cowboys can shut down the run or at the very least make it tough for Hyde to run all over the field, they should be able to force the 49ers into relying only on the pass attack as the game goes on.

It would be satisfying to see the Dallas defense force Gabbert to air it out for most of the game.

Sep 12, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley (30) is defended by San Francisco 49ers defensive end Arik Armstead (91) during a NFL game at Levi

#2. San Francisco questionable against the run

This San Francisco defense has stopped running backs but it is not like these players have been studs.

People will typically look to the 49ers versus star Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley as their expectation for running backs in this matchup, that may be a mistake.

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Sure Gurley is great but the Rams are one dimensional, and every team who faces them knows this. The 49ers loaded the box and shut down Gurley.

Let’s also not forget, Gurley is the only running back on that roster who could hurt any defense, (you know where I am going with this).

In Week Two and Three the 49ers played a banged up Carolina Panthers/ Seattle Seahawks running attack that has struggled to find consistency.

Even with the problems the Seahawks have faced at the running back position former Dallas Cowboy running back Christine Michael managed to record 106 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries against the 49ers defense.

This should have the Cowboys running backs salivating.

Sep 25, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (21) runs with the ball in the first quarter against the Chicago Bears at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

#3. Player Predictions

As far as player predictions though, Cowboys star running back Ezekiel Elliott should have a feast in this game regardless if Bryant plays or not.

This could also be a big game for former Washington Redskin running back Alfred Morris. The Cowboys running attack will set the tone for this game.

The 49ers secondary will struggle to deal with elements of this Cowboys passing attack but expect 49ers free safety Eric Reid to try to stop Jason Witten personally.

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The main matchup will be the 49ers defense versus Dak Prescott. He has yet to be rattled and has shown only poise in his short time in the NFL.

The 49ers do not appear to have a pass rush or a secondary that could affect the talented rookies confidence.

San Francisco will likely bring the house against Prescott daring him to throw the ball on the run (which Prescott can also do effectively).

Realistically, I cannot see a matchup that is unbeatable for Dallas this week.

Sep 25, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys receiver Cole Beasley (11) looks for the touchdown call from field judge Steve Zimmer (33) after a catch against Chicago Bears corenrback Jacoby Glenn (39) in the second quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

#4. The Score

34-10, this should be the score at the end of this contest as the Cowboys should still win most of their matchups in this game.

Mental errors, and rookie mistakes aside, the Cowboys should have a lot of wiggle room when it comes to this matchup.

Without Bryant this limits rookie quarterback Dak Prescott’s options at wide receiver however his favorite remains.

Slot receiver, Cole Beasley has been a star with Dak under center.

A dropped touchdown catch aside, he has been the most reliable Cowboy through the air.

Beasley has seen 25 targets in three games and continues to be heavily targeted and it is easy to see why.

Beasley is a matchup nightmare for most defensive backs.

Despite his size, he has the speed to beat just about any defensive back to the ball.

Beasley even showed his ability to be a deep threat in the Week Three battle against the Chicago Bears.

The 49ers defensive backs will have a tough time dealing with the crafty receiver in the slot.

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