Cowboys vs. 49ers: 5 Matchups to Watch for San Francisco

The San Francisco 49ers play host to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4. Niner Noise takes a look at five matchups worth watching in this storied rivalry.

August 23, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; General view of the line of scrimmage during the first quarter between the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys have had more than their fair share of memorable moments going up against each other over the years.

And while Week 4 of the 2016 season doesn’t exactly seem close to what transpired in the 1970s, 80s and 90s, a number of aspects and matchups certainly draw our attention.

San Francisco (1-2) is coming off a rough 37-18 blowout at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks. Meanwhile, Dallas (2-1) downed the Chicago Bears in easy fashion on Sunday Night Football.

Cowboys rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott were major storylines, and one should figure both will be again versus a suspect 49ers defense.

But there are other matchups on the line here too.

Dallas still boasts one of the best offensive lines in the league. Meanwhile, the Niners can’t generate a pass rush to any consistent effect. And will the Cowboys be able to continue the unsettling trend of shutting down quarterback Blaine Gabbert and San Francisco’s passing attack?

Niner Noise takes a look at five matchups to watch in advance of, and during, Sunday’s Week 4 bout between these two storied franchises.

Let’s start by getting excited about slot matchups, shall we?

Aug 14, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers cornerback Chris Davis (43) reacts after forcing an incomplete pass against the Houston Texans in the first quarter at Levi

No. 5: CB Chris Davis vs. WR Cole Beasley

So Cowboys No. 1 wide receiver Dez Bryant (knee) is questionable for Week 4, per head coach Jason Garrett (h/t Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News), but that doesn’t mean Dallas’ passing attack is completely lost.

Bryant isn’t even quarterback Dak Prescott’s favorite receiving target this season anyway. It’s slot receiver Cole Beasley, who leads the Cowboys with 20 receptions for 213 yards.

With 49ers defensive back Jimmie Ward (quad) likely sidelined Sunday, the primary nickel role will likely fall upon the shoulders of fellow corner Chris Davis.

Sep 7, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; San Francisco 49ers strong safety Jimmie Ward (25) breaks up a pass intended for Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Cole Beasley (11) at AT&T Stadium. San Francisco beat Dallas 28-17. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Davis owns a 40.4 overall mark on the season, per Pro Football Focus, and has seen only 33 snaps over three games.

Rookie Rashard Robinson could also see time in the slot. But he’s likely a candidate to assume outside duties if Ward is unable to go.

October 5, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks (55) defends during the first quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

No. 4: LB Ahmad Brooks vs. RT Doug Free

Cowboys right tackle Doug Free is the only starting offensive lineman to post a grade, per Pro Football Focus, below 70 (49.1).

The rest of Dallas’ offensive line? Well, it’s going to be tough for the 49ers pass rush to get through it. Yet the NFL is a matchup-oriented league, so targeting Free in pass protection might be a likable option.

At this point in his career, veteran linebacker Ahmad Brooks is little more than a situational pass-rusher. He does lead the Niners defense with two sacks in 2016. Despite problems against the run — we’ll get to that in a bit — Brooks is having a better season, per PFF, against the pass.

Second-year defensive end Arik Armstead will be tasked with creating enough havoc along the right side of the Cowboys O-line. Hopefully this is enough to free up pass-rushers like Brooks to converge on quarterback Dak Prescott.

You know, because pressure on opposing QBs is kind of important.

Aug 25, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (21) rushes against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half of an NFL football game at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

No. 3: 49ers Run Defense vs. RB Ezekiel Elliott

One of the primary areas of concern for San Francisco has been its run defense. Through three weeks of NFL action, the Niners rank 23rd against the run and have given up an average of 4.0 yards per rush.

That’s the magic number which allows opposing ground games to simply hand the ball off nearly every snap.

So stopping rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott has to be a top priority. Elliott finally broke out in Week 3 against the Chicago Bears and posted 140 yards on 30 carries.

For the 49ers defense, this means setting the edge while also not allowing interior gaps to open up within the Niners’ front-seven unit. Plays like this, in which Seattle Seahawks tailback Christine Michael gashed San Francisco for an opening-drive touchdown a week ago:

Christine Michael can flat out FLY.

41-yard TD for the @Seahawks!!#SFvsSEA #WeAre12 https://t.co/wQavsJPYpx

— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) September 25, 2016

This is important, because a quarterback like Dak Prescott thrives off play action. If Dallas establishes the run early, the Niners will have their hands full respecting Prescott’s ability to deliver the ball through the air with continued accuracy.

Prescott is currently completing two of every three passing attempts and has yet to be picked off.

The Niners are hoping that changes too.

August 23, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde (28) runs past Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker Kyle Wilber (51) during the first quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

No. 2: RB Carlos Hyde vs. LB Sean Lee

As important as it is for the Niners to shut down Cowboys tailback Ezekiel Elliott, it’s equally important the 49ers offense gets its own running back Carlos Hyde going early and often.

Seattle bottled Hyde up for the first three quarters of action last Sunday. And the Niners offense, if anything, needs Hyde to be a major X-factor in order to gain any sort of offensive consistency.

Yes, you can insert your claims against Chip Kelly’s uptempo, rhythm-based offenses right here. Time of possession too.

Hyde is averaging 3.9 yards per attempt and 75.0 yards per game on the season. While averaging 4.6 yards per attempt in the first quarter, Hyde’s split drops to 1.9 yards per carry in the third. Consistency will be important.

Dallas’ defense currently ranks No. 10 against the run, but this same unit is averaging 4.8 yards per carry — 28th in the NFL.

One of the reasons the Cowboys haven’t given up more yards on the ground is due to linebacker Sean Lee. Lee leads Dallas with 12 tackles on the season, and Pro Football Focus grades him with a 68.5 mark against the run. Not bad, but not great either.

If Hyde can maintain some sort of offensive consistency over four quarters, the Niners may finally be able to move the ball efficiently enough.

August 23, 2015; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert (2) runs against Dallas Cowboys linebacker Keith Smith (56) during the second quarter at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

No. 1: QB Blaine Gabbert vs. Cowboys Secondary

OK, so you might have been thinking the No. 1 matchup would involve quarterback Dak Prescott somehow.

Instead, Niners fans should watch their own quarterback, Blaine Gabbert, to see whether or not he can reverse what has been an ugly start to his 2016 campaign. Gabbert is completing a mere 55.2 percent of his passes, and most of those are on the proverbial “dink and dunk” attempts within five yards or so.

In total, Gabbert’s passer rating on the year is a paltry 68.6, and Pro Football Focus has him ranked as the 35th best quarterback out of 36 qualifiers.

No wonder calls for a Colin Kaepernick start have grown in recent days.

Gabbert’s job is on the line. There isn’t much doubt there. But the Cowboys defense, especially its secondary, provides a bit of an opportunity for San Francisco’s signal-caller to bounce back.

Dallas safeties Byron Jones and Barry Church have had solid seasons. But the Cowboys’ cornerback crop has more than a few questions within. Overall, Dallas has allowed the 23rd most passing yards (870) and 23rd most passing touchdowns (six) in the league this year.

And the defense has generated just two interceptions, which is right in the middle of the pack.