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Cowboys vs. 49ers: Full Week 7 preview for San Francisco

By Logan Stanley

SANTA CLARA, CA - OCTOBER 02: Ezekiel Elliott #21 of the Dallas Cowboys rushes the ball against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on October 2, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CA - OCTOBER 02: Ezekiel Elliott #21 of the Dallas Cowboys rushes the ball against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on October 2, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /
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LANDOVER, MD – OCTOBER 15: Quarterback C.J. Beathard #3 of the San Francisco 49ers and quarterback Kirk Cousins #8 of the Washington Redskins talk after the Washington Redskins defeated the San Francisco 49ers, 26-24, at FedExField on October 15, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – OCTOBER 15: Quarterback C.J. Beathard #3 of the San Francisco 49ers and quarterback Kirk Cousins #8 of the Washington Redskins talk after the Washington Redskins defeated the San Francisco 49ers, 26-24, at FedExField on October 15, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

Quarterback comparison

The rookie C.J. Beathard is the starter for the 49ers moving forward.

So the Beathard experiment begins, and these next 10 weeks will be a test for the rookie to see if Shanahan and general manager John Lynch believe in the first-year player enough to name him the starter for 2018. Already the 49ers offense has showed a partial revitalization, evident in their near comeback victory on the road against Washington.

Just how well Beathard has to play in order to gain future security is anybody’s guess, but a handful of wins and a tangible record of improved play over the year should do the job. That’s no easy task though for a rookie, let alone a rookie at the helm of an 0-6 team.

Despite the Cowboys’ 2-3 record, Dak Prescott is playing well.

While Dallas has already reached their win total from last season, that really can’t be contributed to the play of Prescott, who has showed no signs of a sophomore slump. Especially on play action and deep throws, Prescott has been impactful. Per PFF:

  • Play-action: 21-34, 235 yards, four touchdowns, 124.1 rating.
  • Deep throws: 7-15, 255 yards, two touchdowns, 132.6 rating.

On the season, Prescott has thrown for 1,192 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions while completing 62.6% of his passes. Prescott’s 91.63 PFF quarterback rating places him sixth out of 32 quarterbacks.