Cowboys vs. 49ers: 5 Bold Week 4 Predictions for San Francisco
By Peter Panacy
No. 5: 49ers Defense to Sack Cowboys QB Dak Prescott Multiple Times
Remember, these are bold predictions. Not the ho-hum ones where one states the defense will outperform the offense or whatever.
Rookie quarterback Dak Prescott has been pretty phenomenal his first three games so far. He’s completing 66.7 percent of his passes and has yet to throw an interception at the NFL level.
It wouldn’t be much of a shock to see that zero-turnover streak to come to an end in Week 4 — the Niners currently rank No. 3 in the league with eight turnovers — so we won’t consider that a bold prediction.
However, getting to Prescott is another story.
Dallas’ offensive line still remains one of the best in the NFL. Prescott has been sacked just four times this year, and all of those came in the Cowboys’ Week 2 victory over the Washington Redskins.
One particular matchup to watch here is Dallas right tackle Doug Free versus 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks. Free is the lone Cowboys starting offensive lineman with a Pro Football Focus grade below 70 (50.5). He’s also listed as questionable for Sunday’s contest.
Defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil will probably have to create some pressure, since the Niners aren’t exactly capable of generating sacks from a mere four-man pass rush.
If it works, the 49ers defense might be able to negate Prescott’s pocket presence.