5 reasons 49ers should be fearful of Cowboys in Wild Card round
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: Cowboys have an array of pass-rushers
One of the reasons why Dallas has been so successful against third-down attempts is because of its pass rush, a similar strength to that of San Francisco.
Cowboys rookie linebacker Micah Parsons, the shoo-in favorite for Defensive Rookie of the Year, already has 13 sacks this season, leading his club in that particular category. But what makes the Dallas pass rush so formidable is, just like the 49ers, they’ve received positive contributions from other members of the defensive front seven.
Cowboys 2021 sack leaders
- LB Micah Parsons: 13
- DE Randy Gregory: 6
- DE Dorance Armstrong Jr.: 5
- DE Tarell Basham: 3.5
- DE DeMarcus Lawrence: 3
Just like the Niners, the Cowboys have no trouble being able to rotate their pass-rushers in at various points, particularly in those 3rd-and-long situations where they’ve picked up eight of their 41 total sacks on the year.
San Francisco’s offensive line and pass blocking will need to be on point on Sunday.