3. The Cornerback Situation
The 49ers have had issues with their cornerbacks since the beginning of the season. Veteran Josh Norman
was benched in Week 17 after a pass interference call. Norman was allowing over 60% of his targets to be completed and these catches led to an average of almost 10 yards per target. Statistically, he has been one of the worst cornerbacks in the NFL.
2. The Right Side of the OL
The 49ers’ right side of their offensive line has been quite a weak point. Considering the Cowboys easily dominated Washington’s right side, this could be a huge advantage for Dallas.
If the Cowboys throw rookie linebacker Micah Parsons against the 49ers’ right side, Compton and Brunskill will seriously struggle to keep Jimmy Garoppolo upright based on the mismatch advantage (remember the Washington game a few weeks back?).
Even if 49ers fans want to argue that Compton and Brunskill have been better than expected, they can’t expect that to translate into being able to stop a strong Cowboys defensive line under a big spotlight. Between Neville Gallimore, Randy Gregory, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Micah Parsons, I see big-time trouble for San Fran’s offensive line.
1. Jimmy Garoppolo Interception Problems
The problem is that Garoppolo tends to send up shots in the dark and is one of the most interception-prone quarterbacks in all of football. He has thrown 12 interceptions on the year and some of them are jaw-dropping. That doesn’t bode well against a defense that is tied for first in takeaways and first in interceptions.
Garoppolo will likely be having nightmares about ballhawks like Trevon Diggs, Anthony Brown, and Jayron Kearse, who will be ready and eager to pick off anything he throws their way. Plus, if the 49ers’ offensive line struggles, big guys like Gregory and Lawrence may be able to get picks again if they can tip Garoppolo’s passes with high pressure.
Huge advantage outside against their corners. You would think they try to protect them or even play very soft coverage which Dak should exploit with ease.
3 49ers weaknesses the Cowboys need to capitalize on (thelandryhat.com)