Since their first famous playoff showdown ended with Joe Montana connecting with Dwight Clark to get the 49ers to their first Super Bowl nearly 44 years ago, the stakes when Dallas (3-3) and San Francisco (3-4) have met have often been incredibly high.
With both teams searching for a spark as the midway point of the 2024 season approaches, it’ll be a key opportunity for the two clubs trying to stay connected in the NFC playoff picture, needing a win on Sunday Night Football (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC and streaming on Peacock) to do so.
The injury bug has taken up residence in the 49ers’ locker room this season, and Brandon Aiyuk is the most recent offensive star to have been impacted. He’s out for the year after tearing his ACL and MCL in Week 7’s loss to the Chiefs. Deebo Samuel, who missed that game after coming down with pneumonia, had a short hospital stay early in the week, and Christian McCaffrey still hasn’t played this season because of Achilles tendonitis.
The Cowboys have largely gotten steamrolled at home, giving up 44 points to the Saints, 274 rushing yards to the Ravens, and 47 points to the Lions in three losses, so the best news for Dallas might be that this game is in San Francisco. Micah Parsons, who’s been out with a high ankle sprain, will not play in Week 8. Also, kicker Brandon Aubrey missed practice at the end of last week because of jury duty. He was selected for the 12-member panel for the case reportedly involving a second-degree strangulation offense. He won’t miss games on Sundays because criminal courts are closed on weekends in Tarrant County, Texas.
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