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

49ers Stud: Dallas Cowboys penalties

It’s rare that you see the credit for a win go to the opposing team, but penalties committed by the Cowboys helped keep the 49ers in the game throughout the contest.

Heading into the game, the Cowboys posted a league-leading 127 penalties for 1,103 yards.

In their Wild Card matchup with San Francisco, it was business as usual. The Cowboys posted 14 penalties for 89 yards, tying a playoff record, and securing their exit from the 2022 NFL playoffs.

Only four teams were assessed 14 penalties throughout the entire season thus far, including the Wild Card weekend, and two of those teams were the Cowboys.

The 49ers had their share of fourth-quarter debacles. But the Cowboys’ penalty-filled performance helped seal the win for Jimmy Garoppolo, Kyle Shanahan and Co.

Every play counts, every play matters, especially in the playoffs. After yesterday’s performance, nobody knows that better than Dallas.

Yet the Niners shouldn’t bank on Green Bay being so mistake-prone in the divisional round.