Football is back, as the San Francisco 49ers host the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1 of the 2018 NFL Preseason. We preview the matchup between these storied franchises, as the Niners and Cowboys prepare for potential playoff runs.
Both the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys have playoff aspirations in 2018, after experiencing disappointing seasons in 2017 — although their seasons were disappointing in different ways.
Under the new management of general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan, the 49ers — winners of just two games in 2016 — started the 2017 season with nine straight losses. However, the Niners weren’t as bad as their winless record indicates, as the team set an NFL record by losing five straight games by no more than three points.
Once franchise quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was inserted into the lineup, the one-win 49ers rattled off five straight victories to end the season. The Niners — who added talent on both sides of the ball this offseason — look to build on their strong finish to the 2017 season.
In contrast, the Cowboys ended last season with a winning record, but were knocked out of playoff contention after a Week-16 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Dallas had high expectations entering 2017 after winning 13 games the previous year, but fell prey to off-field drama and a sophomore slump by the 2016 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, quarterback Dak Prescott.
Las Vegas sportsbooks predict the 49ers and Cowboys will win an identical 8.5 games in 2018, although the 49ers have a small edge in win expectancy based on Vegas’ point spreads for each game of the regular season.
Both San Francisco and Dallas made significant personnel changes over the offseason, with Lynch and Shanahan continuing their overhaul of the 49ers’ roster, and the Cowboys parting ways with a number of key contributors.
Will Garoppolo be able to continue his offensive dominance in 2018? And can Prescott have a bounce-back season in Dallas after losing his two favorite passing targets?
These important questions — and many more — will begin to be answered as the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys kick off the 2018 NFL Preseason at Levi’s Stadium tonight. But first, let’s break down some key statistics from the 2017 season: