2022 NFL playoffs: 49ers biggest studs, duds from Wild Card win

It was far from pretty, but the 49ers pulled off a crucial Wild Card win over the Cowboys to advance in the NFL playoffs, and we’ve got studs and duds.

The Wild Card game on Sunday featuring the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys showcased a series of emotions, to say the least. There were a few highs, plenty of lows and lots of penalties that set the tempo for a wild ride.

The two teams are no stranger to playoff games. They have played a combined total of 116 playoff games in the history of their franchises and were victorious in 67 of them. It is the most combined games entering a playoff match, and they are tied for first in combined wins.

It was a modern-day rivalry that brought back over 40 years of history.

From “The Catch” in 1982 of quarterback Joe Montana to wide receiver Dwight Clark, to a series of back-and-forth victories with quarterbacks Steve Young and Troy Aikman, there’s a lot of history here. For the fans, it was a long-awaited playoff meeting with a 26-year drought. San Francisco and Dallas always put in a great playoff performance. Some of their greatest efforts have been against each other.

And the 49ers’ 23-17 nail-biting win over the Cowboys on Sunday left no shortage of great moments, along with some head-scratchers, too.

Here are the biggest studs and duds from the 49ers’ Wild Card win.