Amateur SF scouting report

Blitzen

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I will preface by saying I never played nor coached, but it is pretty easy to spot certain tendencies after spending quite a bit of time watching a team play. Sorry to throw the encyclopedia at you guys.

After watching the bulk of plays that the San Francisco offense put together:

1. Jimmy G. loves throwing between the numbers on in breaking (slants, crossing, posts) routes mostly. He dislikes throwing outside the numbers, especially on routes that end with the receiver running away from him (I don’t think he trusts his arm strength much beyond 5 yards on these routes).

2. SF oline is either very good or very good at holding and not getting caught. Not too many plays where Jimmy G. sees lots of pressure or gets sacked (most sacks I saw were coverage variety). Tons of time to survey the field and make decisions.

3. The enormous majority of targets are within 5-10 yards of the line of scrimmage, with heavy doses of rb/fb/te (not so much wr) screens at or behind the line of scrimmage. They like bootlegs and hitting long crossing routes coming to the same side of the bootleg. Jimmy occasionally will throw across his body but it is very rare.

4. They play a bludgeoning style that revolves around traditional running plays and stretch plays with a sweeping style run. Most of the Deebo carries that had great success were not jet sweeps. They would line the running backs up in the backfield with him and hand it directly to Deebo who would try to run alongside scrimmage looking for gaps and then run up the sideline if he could get there before tacklers (which he had great success doing).

5. Deebo and Kittle especially are Jimmy’s favorite targets. He will look to them quite a bit before turning to someone else. I would consider bracket coverage for both players. Take comfort away from Jimmy and make him delay just a bit longer as those are his typical first reads. Whoever would provide underneath coverage on Kittle better jump right through the rafters as Jimmy will high point it with him all the way down the field.

6. Jimmy makes the majority of his mistakes trying to fit the ball in over the middle or occasionally trying to throw outside the numbers. He will put too much air underneath the throw and throw it directly into a safety that has over the top coverage.

7. The bulk of their most explosive plays are running gains (either after the handoff or after a catch). Quick play recognition and sure tackling slows that offense to a creep. An enormous majority of their explosive passing plays were in breaking routes where the receiver outran and outmuscled the other players after catching on the run (see Deebo).

8. Players that are good at underneath zone and reading reacting to a QB’s eyes are very good to have against this team. Pressuring Jimmy is a must and he will make mistakes and poor decisions when pressured. Like I said they spend buckets of effort keeping Jimmy protected from even getting hit let alone sacked.

With regards to there defense:

1. The front four they present are likely the best the Cowboys will face even if they win. The Cowboys o-line will need to turn in their finest performance of the season for the offense to move the ball consistently.

2. They are good at tackling for the most part, and aggressively try to punch the ball out when tackling (like every time trying to punch the ball out).

3. They have trouble guarding draw plays and misdirection. They are so hyper aggressive that it can occasionally backfire when a team puts together a nice gadget misdirection (or just good fakes for play action passing attacks).

4. The passing plays that seemed to really hurt them were outside the numbers (especially deep down the field when the receiver had a step and the QB did not completely underthrow the ball). They lost games this way. Russell Wilson beat them with plays like these.

5. They are susceptible to QB runs, and based on all the plays I watched- Dak must use his legs quite a bit either to extend plays or gain yardage. This is a must in this game (they are just too good at defense otherwise). Some of the biggest plays against this defense came on broken plays.

6. Wide receiver screens at the line of scrimmage did not work, but Green Bay had some success at setting some up a little further downfield. Bunch formations where two receivers would run routes about 10 yards downfield and one would cut his off around 6-7 yards and then catch and run.

In summary, this will be a difficult but winnable matchup. SF thrives off of taking the ball away (mainly because they have a stifling defense and yeoman like offense). Don’t do stupid and give extra possessions away (protect the ****** ball). Spread the attack as much as possible and make their defense chase the ball a lot if possible. This will likely be a slugfest because that is the style that SF makes the opponent adopt. Not many losses for them where they got way behind (not their style). Very important to try to build a lead and keep pummeling and looking to force turnovers. Can’t wait!
 

mmohican29

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I will preface by saying I never played nor coached, but it is pretty easy to spot certain tendencies after spending quite a bit of time watching a team play. Sorry to throw the encyclopedia at you guys.

After watching the bulk of plays that the San Francisco offense put together:

1. Jimmy G. loves throwing between the numbers on in breaking (slants, crossing, posts) routes mostly. He dislikes throwing outside the numbers, especially on routes that end with the receiver running away from him (I don’t think he trusts his arm strength much beyond 5 yards on these routes).

2. SF oline is either very good or very good at holding and not getting caught. Not too many plays where Jimmy G. sees lots of pressure or gets sacked (most sacks I saw were coverage variety). Tons of time to survey the field and make decisions.

3. The enormous majority of targets are within 5-10 yards of the line of scrimmage, with heavy doses of rb/fb/te (not so much wr) screens at or behind the line of scrimmage. They like bootlegs and hitting long crossing routes coming to the same side of the bootleg. Jimmy occasionally will throw across his body but it is very rare.

4. They play a bludgeoning style that revolves around traditional running plays and stretch plays with a sweeping style run. Most of the Deebo carries that had great success were not jet sweeps. They would line the running backs up in the backfield with him and hand it directly to Deebo who would try to run alongside scrimmage looking for gaps and then run up the sideline if he could get there before tacklers (which he had great success doing).

5. Deebo and Kittle especially are Jimmy’s favorite targets. He will look to them quite a bit before turning to someone else. I would consider bracket coverage for both players. Take comfort away from Jimmy and make him delay just a bit longer as those are his typical first reads. Whoever would provide underneath coverage on Kittle better jump right through the rafters as Jimmy will high point it with him all the way down the field.

6. Jimmy makes the majority of his mistakes trying to fit the ball in over the middle or occasionally trying to throw outside the numbers. He will put too much air underneath the throw and throw it directly into a safety that has over the top coverage.

7. The bulk of their most explosive plays are running gains (either after the handoff or after a catch). Quick play recognition and sure tackling slows that offense to a creep. An enormous majority of their explosive passing plays were in breaking routes where the receiver outran and outmuscled the other players after catching on the run (see Deebo).

8. Players that are good at underneath zone and reading reacting to a QB’s eyes are very good to have against this team. Pressuring Jimmy is a must and he will make mistakes and poor decisions when pressured. Like I said they spend buckets of effort keeping Jimmy protected from even getting hit let alone sacked.

With regards to there defense:

1. The front four they present are likely the best the Cowboys will face even if they win. The Cowboys o-line will need to turn in their finest performance of the season for the offense to move the ball consistently.

2. They are good at tackling for the most part, and aggressively try to punch the ball out when tackling (like every time trying to punch the ball out).

3. They have trouble guarding draw plays and misdirection. They are so hyper aggressive that it can occasionally backfire when a team puts together a nice gadget misdirection (or just good fakes for play action passing attacks).

4. The passing plays that seemed to really hurt them were outside the numbers (especially deep down the field when the receiver had a step and the QB did not completely underthrow the ball). They lost games this way. Russell Wilson beat them with plays like these.

5. They are susceptible to QB runs, and based on all the plays I watched- Dak must use his legs quite a bit either to extend plays or gain yardage. This is a must in this game (they are just too good at defense otherwise). Some of the biggest plays against this defense came on broken plays.

6. Wide receiver screens at the line of scrimmage did not work, but Green Bay had some success at setting some up a little further downfield. Bunch formations where two receivers would run routes about 10 yards downfield and one would cut his off around 6-7 yards and then catch and run.

In summary, this will be a difficult but winnable matchup. SF thrives off of taking the ball away (mainly because they have a stifling defense and yeoman like offense). Don’t do stupid and give extra possessions away (protect the ****** ball). Spread the attack as much as possible and make their defense chase the ball a lot if possible. This will likely be a slugfest because that is the style that SF makes the opponent adopt. Not many losses for them where they got way behind (not their style). Very important to try to build a lead and keep pummeling and looking to force turnovers. Can’t wait!

Pretty spot on.

Having Micah assigned to Deebo when he lines up in the backfield should neutralize that threat 100%.
 

BourbonBalz

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I feel really good about the game. I simply think we’re better than they are WHEN we’re on our game. Will we be? I think so.
 
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Zman5

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Whiners fans think they can beat us because they beat the Rams multiple times. But they don’t mention they lost to Seattle twice and Colt McCoy led Cardinals.
 

jrumann59

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Doesn’t matter what SF does well. If the Cowboys bring their game we win. The 49ers barely got into the playoffs for a reason. They are a flawed team. Cowboys by 14.
Remember their QB has missed a game or two and has broken finger he could end up doing a Steve DeBerg
 

Bigdog

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Pretty good. They were saying that Dak running the ball could really hurt their defense. It just breaks the will of them as a qb runs for 5-6 yards for a first down. Watched a couple of Niners game and Wilson and the Az qb did this several times. The Niners defense just looked exhausted in the 4th qtr. When the Cowboys are in the red zone they must score TDS. The Niners are not built to play in a shootout.
 

Blitzen

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Pretty good. They were saying that Dak running the ball could really hurt their defense. It just breaks the will of them as a qb runs for 5-6 yards for a first down. Watched a couple of Niners game and Wilson and the Az qb did this several times. The Niners defense just looked exhausted in the 4th qtr. When the Cowboys are in the red zone they must score TDS. The Niners are not built to play in a shootout.

Yeah, they do not like spying the QB. They want to drop into coverage and make you throw into bad decisions. They rarely blitz, but will occasionally use someone from the secondary to surprise the QB.
 

Ranching

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I will preface by saying I never played nor coached, but it is pretty easy to spot certain tendencies after spending quite a bit of time watching a team play. Sorry to throw the encyclopedia at you guys.

After watching the bulk of plays that the San Francisco offense put together:

1. Jimmy G. loves throwing between the numbers on in breaking (slants, crossing, posts) routes mostly. He dislikes throwing outside the numbers, especially on routes that end with the receiver running away from him (I don’t think he trusts his arm strength much beyond 5 yards on these routes).

2. SF oline is either very good or very good at holding and not getting caught. Not too many plays where Jimmy G. sees lots of pressure or gets sacked (most sacks I saw were coverage variety). Tons of time to survey the field and make decisions.

3. The enormous majority of targets are within 5-10 yards of the line of scrimmage, with heavy doses of rb/fb/te (not so much wr) screens at or behind the line of scrimmage. They like bootlegs and hitting long crossing routes coming to the same side of the bootleg. Jimmy occasionally will throw across his body but it is very rare.

4. They play a bludgeoning style that revolves around traditional running plays and stretch plays with a sweeping style run. Most of the Deebo carries that had great success were not jet sweeps. They would line the running backs up in the backfield with him and hand it directly to Deebo who would try to run alongside scrimmage looking for gaps and then run up the sideline if he could get there before tacklers (which he had great success doing).

5. Deebo and Kittle especially are Jimmy’s favorite targets. He will look to them quite a bit before turning to someone else. I would consider bracket coverage for both players. Take comfort away from Jimmy and make him delay just a bit longer as those are his typical first reads. Whoever would provide underneath coverage on Kittle better jump right through the rafters as Jimmy will high point it with him all the way down the field.

6. Jimmy makes the majority of his mistakes trying to fit the ball in over the middle or occasionally trying to throw outside the numbers. He will put too much air underneath the throw and throw it directly into a safety that has over the top coverage.

7. The bulk of their most explosive plays are running gains (either after the handoff or after a catch). Quick play recognition and sure tackling slows that offense to a creep. An enormous majority of their explosive passing plays were in breaking routes where the receiver outran and outmuscled the other players after catching on the run (see Deebo).

8. Players that are good at underneath zone and reading reacting to a QB’s eyes are very good to have against this team. Pressuring Jimmy is a must and he will make mistakes and poor decisions when pressured. Like I said they spend buckets of effort keeping Jimmy protected from even getting hit let alone sacked.

With regards to there defense:

1. The front four they present are likely the best the Cowboys will face even if they win. The Cowboys o-line will need to turn in their finest performance of the season for the offense to move the ball consistently.

2. They are good at tackling for the most part, and aggressively try to punch the ball out when tackling (like every time trying to punch the ball out).

3. They have trouble guarding draw plays and misdirection. They are so hyper aggressive that it can occasionally backfire when a team puts together a nice gadget misdirection (or just good fakes for play action passing attacks).

4. The passing plays that seemed to really hurt them were outside the numbers (especially deep down the field when the receiver had a step and the QB did not completely underthrow the ball). They lost games this way. Russell Wilson beat them with plays like these.

5. They are susceptible to QB runs, and based on all the plays I watched- Dak must use his legs quite a bit either to extend plays or gain yardage. This is a must in this game (they are just too good at defense otherwise). Some of the biggest plays against this defense came on broken plays.

6. Wide receiver screens at the line of scrimmage did not work, but Green Bay had some success at setting some up a little further downfield. Bunch formations where two receivers would run routes about 10 yards downfield and one would cut his off around 6-7 yards and then catch and run.

In summary, this will be a difficult but winnable matchup. SF thrives off of taking the ball away (mainly because they have a stifling defense and yeoman like offense). Don’t do stupid and give extra possessions away (protect the ****** ball). Spread the attack as much as possible and make their defense chase the ball a lot if possible. This will likely be a slugfest because that is the style that SF makes the opponent adopt. Not many losses for them where they got way behind (not their style). Very important to try to build a lead and keep pummeling and looking to force turnovers. Can’t wait!
Good stuff....
 

JustChip

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I will preface by saying I never played nor coached, but it is pretty easy to spot certain tendencies after spending quite a bit of time watching a team play. Sorry to throw the encyclopedia at you guys.

After watching the bulk of plays that the San Francisco offense put together:

1. Jimmy G. loves throwing between the numbers on in breaking (slants, crossing, posts) routes mostly. He dislikes throwing outside the numbers, especially on routes that end with the receiver running away from him (I don’t think he trusts his arm strength much beyond 5 yards on these routes).

2. SF oline is either very good or very good at holding and not getting caught. Not too many plays where Jimmy G. sees lots of pressure or gets sacked (most sacks I saw were coverage variety). Tons of time to survey the field and make decisions.

3. The enormous majority of targets are within 5-10 yards of the line of scrimmage, with heavy doses of rb/fb/te (not so much wr) screens at or behind the line of scrimmage. They like bootlegs and hitting long crossing routes coming to the same side of the bootleg. Jimmy occasionally will throw across his body but it is very rare.

4. They play a bludgeoning style that revolves around traditional running plays and stretch plays with a sweeping style run. Most of the Deebo carries that had great success were not jet sweeps. They would line the running backs up in the backfield with him and hand it directly to Deebo who would try to run alongside scrimmage looking for gaps and then run up the sideline if he could get there before tacklers (which he had great success doing).

5. Deebo and Kittle especially are Jimmy’s favorite targets. He will look to them quite a bit before turning to someone else. I would consider bracket coverage for both players. Take comfort away from Jimmy and make him delay just a bit longer as those are his typical first reads. Whoever would provide underneath coverage on Kittle better jump right through the rafters as Jimmy will high point it with him all the way down the field.

6. Jimmy makes the majority of his mistakes trying to fit the ball in over the middle or occasionally trying to throw outside the numbers. He will put too much air underneath the throw and throw it directly into a safety that has over the top coverage.

7. The bulk of their most explosive plays are running gains (either after the handoff or after a catch). Quick play recognition and sure tackling slows that offense to a creep. An enormous majority of their explosive passing plays were in breaking routes where the receiver outran and outmuscled the other players after catching on the run (see Deebo).

8. Players that are good at underneath zone and reading reacting to a QB’s eyes are very good to have against this team. Pressuring Jimmy is a must and he will make mistakes and poor decisions when pressured. Like I said they spend buckets of effort keeping Jimmy protected from even getting hit let alone sacked.

With regards to there defense:

1. The front four they present are likely the best the Cowboys will face even if they win. The Cowboys o-line will need to turn in their finest performance of the season for the offense to move the ball consistently.

2. They are good at tackling for the most part, and aggressively try to punch the ball out when tackling (like every time trying to punch the ball out).

3. They have trouble guarding draw plays and misdirection. They are so hyper aggressive that it can occasionally backfire when a team puts together a nice gadget misdirection (or just good fakes for play action passing attacks).

4. The passing plays that seemed to really hurt them were outside the numbers (especially deep down the field when the receiver had a step and the QB did not completely underthrow the ball). They lost games this way. Russell Wilson beat them with plays like these.

5. They are susceptible to QB runs, and based on all the plays I watched- Dak must use his legs quite a bit either to extend plays or gain yardage. This is a must in this game (they are just too good at defense otherwise). Some of the biggest plays against this defense came on broken plays.

6. Wide receiver screens at the line of scrimmage did not work, but Green Bay had some success at setting some up a little further downfield. Bunch formations where two receivers would run routes about 10 yards downfield and one would cut his off around 6-7 yards and then catch and run.

In summary, this will be a difficult but winnable matchup. SF thrives off of taking the ball away (mainly because they have a stifling defense and yeoman like offense). Don’t do stupid and give extra possessions away (protect the ****** ball). Spread the attack as much as possible and make their defense chase the ball a lot if possible. This will likely be a slugfest because that is the style that SF makes the opponent adopt. Not many losses for them where they got way behind (not their style). Very important to try to build a lead and keep pummeling and looking to force turnovers. Can’t wait!
Excellent write up.
 

BermyStar

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I will preface by saying I never played nor coached, but it is pretty easy to spot certain tendencies after spending quite a bit of time watching a team play. Sorry to throw the encyclopedia at you guys.

After watching the bulk of plays that the San Francisco offense put together:

1. Jimmy G. loves throwing between the numbers on in breaking (slants, crossing, posts) routes mostly. He dislikes throwing outside the numbers, especially on routes that end with the receiver running away from him (I don’t think he trusts his arm strength much beyond 5 yards on these routes).

2. SF oline is either very good or very good at holding and not getting caught. Not too many plays where Jimmy G. sees lots of pressure or gets sacked (most sacks I saw were coverage variety). Tons of time to survey the field and make decisions.

3. The enormous majority of targets are within 5-10 yards of the line of scrimmage, with heavy doses of rb/fb/te (not so much wr) screens at or behind the line of scrimmage. They like bootlegs and hitting long crossing routes coming to the same side of the bootleg. Jimmy occasionally will throw across his body but it is very rare.

4. They play a bludgeoning style that revolves around traditional running plays and stretch plays with a sweeping style run. Most of the Deebo carries that had great success were not jet sweeps. They would line the running backs up in the backfield with him and hand it directly to Deebo who would try to run alongside scrimmage looking for gaps and then run up the sideline if he could get there before tacklers (which he had great success doing).

5. Deebo and Kittle especially are Jimmy’s favorite targets. He will look to them quite a bit before turning to someone else. I would consider bracket coverage for both players. Take comfort away from Jimmy and make him delay just a bit longer as those are his typical first reads. Whoever would provide underneath coverage on Kittle better jump right through the rafters as Jimmy will high point it with him all the way down the field.

6. Jimmy makes the majority of his mistakes trying to fit the ball in over the middle or occasionally trying to throw outside the numbers. He will put too much air underneath the throw and throw it directly into a safety that has over the top coverage.

7. The bulk of their most explosive plays are running gains (either after the handoff or after a catch). Quick play recognition and sure tackling slows that offense to a creep. An enormous majority of their explosive passing plays were in breaking routes where the receiver outran and outmuscled the other players after catching on the run (see Deebo).

8. Players that are good at underneath zone and reading reacting to a QB’s eyes are very good to have against this team. Pressuring Jimmy is a must and he will make mistakes and poor decisions when pressured. Like I said they spend buckets of effort keeping Jimmy protected from even getting hit let alone sacked.

With regards to there defense:

1. The front four they present are likely the best the Cowboys will face even if they win. The Cowboys o-line will need to turn in their finest performance of the season for the offense to move the ball consistently.

2. They are good at tackling for the most part, and aggressively try to punch the ball out when tackling (like every time trying to punch the ball out).

3. They have trouble guarding draw plays and misdirection. They are so hyper aggressive that it can occasionally backfire when a team puts together a nice gadget misdirection (or just good fakes for play action passing attacks).

4. The passing plays that seemed to really hurt them were outside the numbers (especially deep down the field when the receiver had a step and the QB did not completely underthrow the ball). They lost games this way. Russell Wilson beat them with plays like these.

5. They are susceptible to QB runs, and based on all the plays I watched- Dak must use his legs quite a bit either to extend plays or gain yardage. This is a must in this game (they are just too good at defense otherwise). Some of the biggest plays against this defense came on broken plays.

6. Wide receiver screens at the line of scrimmage did not work, but Green Bay had some success at setting some up a little further downfield. Bunch formations where two receivers would run routes about 10 yards downfield and one would cut his off around 6-7 yards and then catch and run.

In summary, this will be a difficult but winnable matchup. SF thrives off of taking the ball away (mainly because they have a stifling defense and yeoman like offense). Don’t do stupid and give extra possessions away (protect the ****** ball). Spread the attack as much as possible and make their defense chase the ball a lot if possible. This will likely be a slugfest because that is the style that SF makes the opponent adopt. Not many losses for them where they got way behind (not their style). Very important to try to build a lead and keep pummeling and looking to force turnovers. Can’t wait!
Great post. 'Preciate the effort
 

jazzcat22

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Will or can Moore take advantage of those weaknesses on SF. When was the last time we seen a draw play in Dallas. Since Emmitt?
 

CowboysFaninHouston

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I will preface by saying I never played nor coached, but it is pretty easy to spot certain tendencies after spending quite a bit of time watching a team play. Sorry to throw the encyclopedia at you guys.

After watching the bulk of plays that the San Francisco offense put together:

1. Jimmy G. loves throwing between the numbers on in breaking (slants, crossing, posts) routes mostly. He dislikes throwing outside the numbers, especially on routes that end with the receiver running away from him (I don’t think he trusts his arm strength much beyond 5 yards on these routes).

2. SF oline is either very good or very good at holding and not getting caught. Not too many plays where Jimmy G. sees lots of pressure or gets sacked (most sacks I saw were coverage variety). Tons of time to survey the field and make decisions.

3. The enormous majority of targets are within 5-10 yards of the line of scrimmage, with heavy doses of rb/fb/te (not so much wr) screens at or behind the line of scrimmage. They like bootlegs and hitting long crossing routes coming to the same side of the bootleg. Jimmy occasionally will throw across his body but it is very rare.

4. They play a bludgeoning style that revolves around traditional running plays and stretch plays with a sweeping style run. Most of the Deebo carries that had great success were not jet sweeps. They would line the running backs up in the backfield with him and hand it directly to Deebo who would try to run alongside scrimmage looking for gaps and then run up the sideline if he could get there before tacklers (which he had great success doing).

5. Deebo and Kittle especially are Jimmy’s favorite targets. He will look to them quite a bit before turning to someone else. I would consider bracket coverage for both players. Take comfort away from Jimmy and make him delay just a bit longer as those are his typical first reads. Whoever would provide underneath coverage on Kittle better jump right through the rafters as Jimmy will high point it with him all the way down the field.

6. Jimmy makes the majority of his mistakes trying to fit the ball in over the middle or occasionally trying to throw outside the numbers. He will put too much air underneath the throw and throw it directly into a safety that has over the top coverage.

7. The bulk of their most explosive plays are running gains (either after the handoff or after a catch). Quick play recognition and sure tackling slows that offense to a creep. An enormous majority of their explosive passing plays were in breaking routes where the receiver outran and outmuscled the other players after catching on the run (see Deebo).

8. Players that are good at underneath zone and reading reacting to a QB’s eyes are very good to have against this team. Pressuring Jimmy is a must and he will make mistakes and poor decisions when pressured. Like I said they spend buckets of effort keeping Jimmy protected from even getting hit let alone sacked.

With regards to there defense:

1. The front four they present are likely the best the Cowboys will face even if they win. The Cowboys o-line will need to turn in their finest performance of the season for the offense to move the ball consistently.

2. They are good at tackling for the most part, and aggressively try to punch the ball out when tackling (like every time trying to punch the ball out).

3. They have trouble guarding draw plays and misdirection. They are so hyper aggressive that it can occasionally backfire when a team puts together a nice gadget misdirection (or just good fakes for play action passing attacks).

4. The passing plays that seemed to really hurt them were outside the numbers (especially deep down the field when the receiver had a step and the QB did not completely underthrow the ball). They lost games this way. Russell Wilson beat them with plays like these.

5. They are susceptible to QB runs, and based on all the plays I watched- Dak must use his legs quite a bit either to extend plays or gain yardage. This is a must in this game (they are just too good at defense otherwise). Some of the biggest plays against this defense came on broken plays.

6. Wide receiver screens at the line of scrimmage did not work, but Green Bay had some success at setting some up a little further downfield. Bunch formations where two receivers would run routes about 10 yards downfield and one would cut his off around 6-7 yards and then catch and run.

In summary, this will be a difficult but winnable matchup. SF thrives off of taking the ball away (mainly because they have a stifling defense and yeoman like offense). Don’t do stupid and give extra possessions away (protect the ****** ball). Spread the attack as much as possible and make their defense chase the ball a lot if possible. This will likely be a slugfest because that is the style that SF makes the opponent adopt. Not many losses for them where they got way behind (not their style). Very important to try to build a lead and keep pummeling and looking to force turnovers. Can’t wait!
#4 is concerning. our run defense has been suspect to stretch runs and RBs breaking it to the outside. not sure why, but its key in this game.

#5 is of course concerning. they are good players, but we have to limit their yards and impact...they are going to make some plays. that's why they are good, but limiting them to much less than their usual output. so yes, blanket Deebo and have parsons or neal and a saftey to blanket Kittle. if Aiyuk beats us, then he beats us. but we can't let these two do it.

#6 Pass rush is key. we have to get and pressure Jimmy and get him to throw earlier than he wants and feel the pressure. that's where he tends to make most his mistakes.

#7 that worries me the most as we were one of the worst teams giving up YAC...either bad angles, bad tackling, etc.....but we never cleaned that up

on the defensive side.

#1 we have to run to the outside early in 1st, 2nd quarter...we have to get the DL moving laterally and chasing to wind them. they are a good DL, but not deep.

#3 - I am not sure we haven't seen more draw plays from cowboys. I have been wondering the same for past few weeks and both pollard and zeke would be great at that. its the best way to slow down a pass rush and aggresive defense.

I think they are suspect to deep passing game and if we can protect a bit, then we can do some damage deep with all three WR, which then would open up the underneath zones
 
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I really wish someday the Cowboys will build their teams from the inside out, focus on maintaining a respectable OL and DL. Teams like that are always competitive. That way you're always poised to be a contender whenever the planets finally align and you land a special QB. Heck, if your defense is good enough the QB doesn't even have to be that good!

Since the Garret era they do seem to be trying to maintain the OL via draft but there is something wrong,,, could be the coaching. It's just crazy how much they struggle on short yardage situations.
 

Creeper

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SF led the league in forced fumbles with 22, but had only 9 interceptions. They are 5th in league in sacks with 48. On offense they are tied with Dallas for sacks given up with 33. They have thrown only 14 INTs. They average only 30 passing attempts per game and 29 rushing attempts. That is pretty balanced. Dallas averages 38 passes per game and 28 rushes.

These two teams seem pretty evenly matched. It is going to come down to ball security.
 
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