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49ers–Cowboys rivalry

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49ers-Cowboys rivalry
San Francisco 49ers
Dallas Cowboys
LocationSan Francisco, Dallas
First meetingNovember 20, 1960
49ers 26, Cowboys 14[1]
Latest meetingOctober 27, 2024
49ers 30, Cowboys 24[1]
Stadiums49ers: Levi's Stadium
Cowboys: AT&T Stadium
Statistics
Meetings total41[1]
All-time series49ers: 21–19–1[1]
Regular season series49ers: 17–14–1[1]
Postseason resultsCowboys: 5–4[1]
Largest victory49ers: 42–10 (2023)
Cowboys: 59–14 (1980)[1]
Longest win streak49ers: 6 (1981–1990)
Cowboys: 5 (1972–1980)[1]
Current win streak49ers: 4 (2022–present)[1]
Post–season history[1]
Map
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1200km
820miles
Cowboys
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49ers
Locations of the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys

The 49ers–Cowboys rivalry is a National Football League (NFL) rivalry between the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys.[2][3]

As the Cowboys play in NFC East and the 49ers in the NFC West, they do not play every year; instead, they play at least once every three years and at least once every six seasons at each team's home stadium due to the NFL's rotating division schedules when their respective divisions are paired up. Additionally, not only both teams could meet in the playoffs, but also if they finish in the same place in their respective divisions, they would play the ensuing season.[4][5][6][7][8][9]

It is one of the greatest inter-division rivalries in the NFL. Sports Illustrated ranked it as the eighth best rivalry[10] while the NFL Top 10 ranked this rivalry to be the tenth best in the NFL.[11] In 2020, CBS ranked it as the No. 1 NFL rivalry of the 1990s.[12][13] The rivalry was also the subject of two 2015 episodes of NFL Network's The Timeline entitled "A Tale of Two Cities" with actors Sam Elliott (Cowboys) and Jeremy Renner (49ers) as narrators.[14][15][16]

The 49ers lead the overall series, 21–19–1. The two teams have met nine times in the playoffs, with the Cowboys holding a 5–4 record.[1]

History

[edit]

The Cowboys and 49ers have faced each other in the postseason nine times, the second most between any two NFL teams (behind only the 49ers-Packers rivalry; those two teams have met ten times). The rivalry between the Cowboys and 49ers started gaining traction in the 1970s. The Cowboys defeated the 49ers in the 1970 and 1971 NFC Championship games, and again in the 1972 Divisional Playoff Game. The 1981 NFC Championship Game in San Francisco, which saw the 49ers' Joe Montana complete a game-winning pass to Dwight Clark in the final minute (now known as The Catch) is one of the most famous games in NFL history.[17][18][19]

The rivalry became even more intense from 1992 to 1994 when the two teams faced each other in the NFC Championship Game during all three seasons. Dallas won the first two match-ups while San Francisco won the third, and in each of these pivotal match-ups, the game's victor went on to win the Super Bowl. With the Cowboys winning the Super Bowl following the 1995 season, from 1992 to 1995, either the Cowboys or the 49ers were Super Bowl champions, giving both teams five each – which, at the time, was tied for the most by any NFL team and later NFC team (currently, both teams are tied for third behind the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots with six each).[20][21][22]

The rivalry went cold for many years due to the two teams’ inability to make the postseason in the same year after 1998 and until 2021, when both teams made the playoffs and were matched against each other in the Wild Card Round in Dallas.[23] The 49ers won that game 23–17. The two teams would meet each other in the 2022 playoff divisional round, which saw the 49ers take a 19–12 win.[24][25] Both teams qualified for the 2023 postseason. However, the teams' fellow rival, the Green Bay Packers, defeated the Cowboys, becoming the first 7 seed to win a playoff game against the 2 seed. The loss not only prevented a third straight matchup with the 49ers, but also allowed the Packers and 49ers to play in a record 10th playoff game.[26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33]

Players who have won championships with both teams include defensive end Charles Haley, linebacker Ken Norton Jr., and cornerback Deion Sanders.[34][35]

As of the 2023 season, the 49ers are one of two NFC teams that the Cowboys have a losing record against, along with the Green Bay Packers.[36]

Season-by-season results

[edit]
San Francisco 49ers vs. Dallas Cowboys Season-by-Season Results[1]
1960s (49ers, 3–1–1)
Season Results Location Overall series Notes
1960 49ers
26–14 		Cotton Bowl 49ers
1–0 		Cowboys join the NFL as an expansion team. They are placed in the Western Conference but are moved to the Eastern Conference the following season.
1963 49ers
31–24 		Kezar Stadium 49ers
2–0
1965 Cowboys
39–31 		Cotton Bowl 49ers
2–1
1967 49ers
24–16 		Kezar Stadium 49ers
3–1
1969 Tie
24–24 		Cotton Bowl 49ers
3–1–1 		Game was played on Thanksgiving Day.
Most recent tied game in Cowboys history as of 2024. Former Cowboys defensive back and assistant coach Dick Nolan makes his debut as 49ers head coach, as he was hired 1968 season.
1970s (Cowboys, 6–1)
Season Results Location Overall series Notes
1970 playoffs Cowboys
17–10 		Kezar Stadium 49ers
3–2–1 		NFC Championship Game. First postseason meeting in the series. Last meeting in Kezar Stadium. Cowboys lose Super Bowl V.
1971 playoffs Cowboys
14–3 		Texas Stadium Tie
3–3–1 		Second straight NFC Championship Game meeting. First start in series for Roger Staubach. First meeting in Texas Stadium. Cowboys win Super Bowl VI.
1972 49ers
31–10 		Texas Stadium 49ers
4–3–1 		Game played on Thanksgiving Day. Most recent Thanksgiving Day meeting between these two teams.
1972 playoffs Cowboys
30–28 		Candlestick Park Tie
4–4–1 		NFC Divisional playoffs. First meeting at Candlestick Park. With Roger Staubach (who had been injured for much of the season) coming off the bench to replace an ineffective Craig Morton; Cowboys overcome 21–3 deficit and a 28–13 deficit in the fourth quarter to win. Last 49ers post-season game until 1981.
1974 Cowboys
20–14 		Texas Stadium Cowboys
5–4–1 		Cowboys take first lead in the series.
1977 Cowboys
42–35 		Candlestick Park Cowboys
6–4–1 		First ever Monday Night Football matchup between the two teams; Cowboys win Super Bowl XII.
1979 Cowboys
21–13 		Candlestick Park Cowboys
7–4–1 		Last start in the series for Roger Staubach.
1980s (49ers, 5–1)
Season Results Location Overall series Notes
1980 Cowboys
59–14 		Texas Stadium Cowboys
8–4–1 		Cowboys record their largest victory over the 49ers with a 45–point differential and tied their franchise record for most points scored in a game.
1981 49ers
45–14 		Candlestick Park Cowboys
8–5–1 		First start in the series for 49ers' QB Joe Montana and 49ers' DE Fred Dean after Dean was acquired in a trade with the San Diego Chargers.
1981 playoffs 49ers
28–27 		Candlestick Park Cowboys
8–6–1 		NFC Championship Game. First postseason win for the 49ers over the Cowboys. Wide receiver Dwight Clark makes a leaping catch in the back of the end zone on a pass from Joe Montana with 51 seconds left, best referred to as "The Catch". 49ers win Super Bowl XVI.
1983 49ers
42–17 		Candlestick Park Cowboys
8–7–1
1985 49ers
31–16 		Candlestick Park Tie
8–8–1 		The 49er victory allowed them to clinch the final NFC wild-card spot that season.
1989 49ers
31–14 		Texas Stadium 49ers
9–8–1 		49ers win Super Bowl XXIV. 49ers take first series lead since 1972.
1990s (49ers, 5–4)
Season Results Location Overall series Notes
1990 49ers
24–6 		Texas Stadium 49ers
10–8–1 		First start in series for Troy Aikman. Last start in series for Joe Montana.
1992 playoffs Cowboys
30–20 		Candlestick Park 49ers
10–9–1 		NFC Championship Game. Cowboys win Super Bowl XXVII. After the game, Cowboys' head coach Jimmy Johnson was caught saying "How Bout Them Cowboys" in their postgame locker room.
1993 Cowboys
26–17 		Texas Stadium Tie
10–10–1
1993 playoffs Cowboys
38–21 		Texas Stadium Cowboys
11–10–1 		Second straight NFC Championship Game meeting. Cowboys win Super Bowl XXVIII. Troy Aikman was knocked out of the game with a concussion after the knee of rookie 49er defensive tackle Dana Stubblefield struck his head.
1994 49ers
21–14 		Candlestick Park Tie
11–11–1
1994 playoffs 49ers
38–28 		Candlestick Park 49ers
12–11–1 		Third straight NFC Championship Game meeting. 49ers win Super Bowl XXIX.
1995 49ers
38–20 		Texas Stadium 49ers
13–11–1 		Cowboys win Super Bowl XXX.
1996 Cowboys
20–17(OT) 		3Com Park 49ers
13–12–1 		First meeting between the two teams to go into overtime.
1997 49ers
17–10 		3Com Park 49ers
14–12–1 		Last start in the series for Steve Young.
2000s (Cowboys, 3–2)
Season Results Location Overall series Notes
2000 49ers
41–24 		Texas Stadium 49ers
15–12–1 		Last start in the series for Troy Aikman. This game was remembered for 49ers wide receiver (and future Cowboy) Terrell Owens spiking the ball on the Cowboys star at midfield following a touchdown and subsequently being hit by Cowboys safety George Teague.
2001 Cowboys
27–21 		Texas Stadium 49ers
15–13–1
2002 49ers
31–27 		Texas Stadium 49ers
16–13–1
2005 Cowboys
34–31 		Monster Park 49ers
16–14–1
2008 Cowboys
35–22 		Texas Stadium 49ers
16–15–1 		Last meeting in Texas Stadium.
2010s (Cowboys, 3–1)
Season Results Location Overall series Notes
2011 Cowboys
27–24 (OT) 		Candlestick Park Tie
16–16–1 		Last meeting in Candlestick Park.
2014 49ers
28–17 		AT&T Stadium 49ers
17–16–1 		First meeting at AT&T Stadium.
2016 Cowboys
24–17 		Levi's Stadium Tie
17–17–1 		First meeting at Levi's Stadium.
2017 Cowboys
40–10 		Levi's Stadium Cowboys
18–17–1 		Cowboys take first lead in the series since winning the 1993 NFC Championship Game.
2020s (49ers, 4–1)
Season Results Location Overall series Notes
2020 Cowboys
41–33 		AT&T Stadium Cowboys
19–17–1 		Limited fans in attendance due to ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 49ers were eliminated from postseason contention with this loss, coupled with a win by the Cardinals.
2021 playoffs 49ers
23–17 		AT&T Stadium Cowboys
19–18–1 		NFC Wild Card playoffs. First playoff meeting since 1994.
2022 playoffs 49ers
19–12 		Levi's Stadium Tie
19–19–1 		NFC Divisional playoffs. Ninth postseason meeting.
2023 49ers
42–10 		Levi's Stadium 49ers
20–19–1 		49ers record their largest victory over the Cowboys with a 32–point differential.
2024 49ers
30–24 		Levi's Stadium 49ers
21–19–1
Summary of Results
Season Season series at San Francisco 49ers at Dallas Cowboys Notes
Regular season 49ers 17–14–1 49ers 9–7 49ers 8–7–1
Postseason Cowboys 5–4 Tie 3–3 Cowboys 2–1 NFC Wild Card: 2021
NFC Divisional: 1972, 2022
NFC Championship: 1970, 1971, 1981, 1992, 1993, 1994
Regular and postseason 49ers 21–19–1 49ers 12–10 Tie 9–9–1

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "All Matchups, San Francisco 49ers vs. Dallas Cowboys". Pro Football Reference.
  2. ^ Munoz, Michelle. "Cowboys-49ers: A Rivalry for the Ages". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2022-06-29.
  3. ^ "Dynasties, guarantees and 'The Catch': Cowboys and 49ers have a rich playoff history". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-06-29.
  4. ^ Pavlović, Svetozar (2023-10-09). "49ers - Cowboys: Which recent games had the biggest points difference?". Diario AS. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
  5. ^ "Creating the NFL Schedule". Operations.NFL.com. NFL Enterprises, LLC. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  6. ^ Davis, Scott. "The NFL schedule is created with the help of a simple formula". Business Insider. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
  7. ^ "NFL gives East teams a break traveling West". ESPN.com. 2009-03-23. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
  8. ^ Trapasso, Chris. "How Is the NFL Schedule Created?". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
  9. ^ "How Does Scheduling Work In The NFL? | Understanding NFL Scheduling Formula". www.sportskeeda.com. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
  10. ^ "NFL's Best Rivalries". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2024-03-13.
  11. ^ Top 10 Bitter Rivalries Throughout NFL History | NFL Films on YouTube
  12. ^ DeArdo, Bryan (July 1, 2020). "NFL's top rivalries of the 1990s: Cowboys part of two legendary matchups". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2022-08-30.
  13. ^ "The Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers have shared some truly unforgettable moments". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
  14. ^ Ochoa, R. J. (2015-12-19). "NFL Films "A Tale of Two Cities": A 2-Part Look Into The Rivalry Of The Cowboys & 49ers". Inside The Star Archives. Retrieved 2024-03-13.
  15. ^ "A Tale of Two Cities: 49ers and Cowboys Part 1". NFL.com. Retrieved 2024-03-13.
  16. ^ "A Tale of Two Cities: 49ers and Cowboys Part 2". NFL.com. Retrieved 2024-03-13.
  17. ^ Dubow, Josh (2023-01-19). "Cowboys-49ers rivalry set for record-tying 9th playoff game". AP News. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
  18. ^ Fucillo, David (2023-01-22). "History of playoff rivalry between Cowboys and 49ers". DraftKings Network. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
  19. ^ Adam Bradshaw and Andrew Schnitker, Adam Bradshaw and Andrew Schnitker (2022-01-11). "Cowboys-49ers: A rivalry rekindled for playoffs". KXAN Austin. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
  20. ^ Kennedy, Alex (2024-02-12). "Which NFL team has the most Super Bowl wins?". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
  21. ^ "Super Bowl winners by team: Who has the most championships in NFL history? | Sporting News". www.sportingnews.com. 2023-02-13. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
  22. ^ "Rivalry recap: Cowboys vs. 49ers". NFL.com. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
  23. ^ "Rivalry renewed: Cowboys-49ers matchup retaking its place atop the NFL". ESPN.com. 2023-10-06. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
  24. ^ "49ers vs. Cowboys: A Historic Rivalry Renewed". www.49ers.com. Retrieved 2022-06-29.
  25. ^ "49ers-Cowboys rivalry roars back to life, 27 years after Eric Davis ignited last chapter". The Mercury News. 2022-01-15. Retrieved 2022-06-29.
  26. ^ Hamm, Timm (January 25, 2024). "'Ain't Gonna Work!' Deion Supports Coach McCarthy, Reveals Cowboys Weakness". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  27. ^ Beviglia, Jim (January 24, 2024). "Why Can't Dallas Win in the NFL Playoffs?". CapperTek. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  28. ^ "Packers 48-32 Cowboys (Jan 14, 2024) Game Recap". ESPN.com. January 14, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  29. ^ "By the numbers: Green Bay Packers dominate Dallas Cowboys". ESPN.com. 2024-01-15. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
  30. ^ Treacy, Dan (2024-01-14). "No. 7 seeds to win an NFL playoff game: How Packers made history with wild-card win over Cowboys | Sporting News". www.sportingnews.com. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  31. ^ "The Packers visit the 49ers for record-setting 10th playoff matchup". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  32. ^ "Packers, Niners meeting for 10th time in playoffs | Arkansas Democrat Gazette". www.arkansasonline.com. 2024-01-18. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  33. ^ "Packers-49ers playoff rivalry has produced many memorable moments". spectrumnews1.com. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  34. ^ Lombardi, David (September 30, 2020). "'Center stage': Reliving the revolutionary Cowboys-49ers rivalry of the 1990s". The Athletic. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  35. ^ "Rivalry recap: Cowboys vs. 49ers". NFL.com. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
  36. ^ "Dallas Cowboys Records by Opponent". FootballDB.com. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
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