The San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys have a storied rivalry, and emotions are still high in 2024 after the two team’s scuffle.
San Francisco has had the better of the Cowboys in recent history, which has seen both sides get chippy. During the Week 8 clash, it took less than a quarter for things to heat up between the two sides.
While it didn’t feature any wild punches or major hits, Cowboys safety Juanyeh Thomas and 49ers linebacker Dee Winters both received personal fouls for the fight.
Considering it happened early in the game, it set the tone for what kind of game it was going to be. San Francisco did strike first, but Dallas was the first to score after the scuffle after driving down the field and having RB Ezekiel Elliott punch in the score.
49ers and Kyle Shanahan Have Bested Mike McCarthy
Part of the reason the two sides are so chippy is that, for the most part, the 49ers have dominated the Cowboys during head coach Kyle Shanahan’s tenure. While Dallas HC Mike McCarthy won the two coaches’ first battle during his first year in charge in 2020, Shanahan has had his number since.
Dallas and San Francisco have met in each of the past three seasons, with two contests coming in the playoffs. The 49ers have won all three contests, knocking the Cowboys out of the playoffs in the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
Last year when the Cowboys and 49ers faced off in the regular season, it ended with a lopsided 42-10 victory for San Francisco. It was one of the best games of QB Brock Purdy’s young NFL career, as he threw for 252 passing yards and four touchdowns.
Conversely, Dallas QB Dak Prescott had one of the worst nights of his career. Prescott threw for 153 yards and one touchdown, but tossed three interceptions in the process.
49ers Recently Linked to Ex-Cowboys DB
As San Francisco waits to see if safety Talanoa Hufanga can play through his torn wrist ligaments, they may need to add reinforcements in his stead. One of the names that was recently linked to the 49ers is actually former Dallas DB is Jayron Kearse.
Kearse is still a free agent after spending three seasons with the Cowboys, and it’s not clear why that is. While it could be contract demands, it is now halfway through the season and he may have to accept a cut-rate deal in order to get back on the field.
For context, Kearse is coming off a two-year, $10 million deal according to Spotrac. That was the highest-paid contract of his NFL career. Now that he’s 30 years old, he’s probably looking for another sizable deal as the end of his career draws closer.
Kearse brought down four interceptions over his three seasons in Dallas, while also forcing a fumble. He totaled 19 passes defended over that span, with the majority of them (10) coming in 2021.
Maybe his best talent is his ability to make plays behind the line of scrimmage. He made 20 tackles for loss for the Cowboys in 46 appearances.
