Cowboys vs. 49ers: Preview, score prediction for Week 7

Dallas Cowboys vs. San Francisco 49ers

In the 1990s this was the premier matchup in the NFC as the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers were continually fighting for a right to be their conferences representative int he Super Bowl. For fans of these storied franchises, that has to feel like an eternity ago as neither can even think of such thoughts of grandeur at this point in the 2017 NFL season.

Dallas is coming off their bye week, but they had two disappointing losses in the previous games leading up to their time off. The losing streak is a little longer for San Francisco as rookie head coach Kyle Shanahan is still looking for his first win.

Dallas Keys To Victory

Find an early rhythm and keep it: So far this season the Cowboys have been up and down. They’ve struggled to find their flow at times, and in others they’ve failed to maintain it. They need to play a full 60-minute game on Sunday to win. Get the playmakers involved early, and keep going to them.

Stay on the gas: As mentioned above, they haven’t been able to keep the good things going once the actually do start. Dallas has had leads (and good ones at that) in their past two games — yet they came away with losses. No matter the score, they have to stay aggressive and look to score on every drive.

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Linebacker play: One thing absent from both the losses for Dallas in their slump is linebacker Sean Lee. He’s the leader of their defense and they simply look like a better unit when he’s there. Lee is back at practice, and his return should help the entire linebacking corps step up and play better. That’s a must for them to get some defensive stops.

San Francisco Keys To Victory

Unleash the rookie: Quarterback C.J. Beathard makes his first start on Sunday. Dallas struggles with players who are either unknown or “average”. Beathard may wind up being very good, but he’s still an unknown and at this point in his young career he is probably somewhat average. That means Dallas will struggle mightily with him like they have in the past with players like Trevor Siemian, Austin Davis, Josh McCown and Matt Flynn. Shanahan has to unleash Beathard because of this.

Control the clock: While throwing it with Beathard is wise, they have to stay balanced and control the clock. Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott is carrying this team right now, and keeping him on the sidelines is the best defense. With Dallas’ defense being so soft in the middle, they have a shot to do just that.

Force Dallas to pass: It sounds counterproductive to force Dallas to pass considering how well Prescott has played, but it is the best bet. While the quarterback is great, his role players are struggling. Wide receiver Dez Bryant isn’t creating separation and tight end Jason Witten can’t run. Then there’s receiver Terrance Williams who gifted the Green Bay Packers a pick-six late in the game when a Prescott pass bounced off his chest into cornerback Damarious Randall’s arms. On top of that, the offensive line isn’t protecting the pass very well and left tackle Tyron Smith is hurting.

Odds

Point Spread: Dallas -6
Moneyline: Dallas -244, San Francisco +217
Over/Under: 46.5

Odds via Sportsbook Review

Next: 2017 NFL Picks, score predictions for Week 7

Prediction

Dallas needs a win to save their season. San Francisco just needs a win. While the Cowboys defense inspires no confidence at all, the return of Sean Lee may be enough to get an actual stop in this one. Prescott will again have to carry the offense, but he gets a breakout game from Dez Bryant — who needs one badly.

Final Score: Dallas Cowboys: 27, San Francisco 49ers: 17

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