5 things 49ers must clean up after beating Cowboys in Wild Card
By Peter Panacy
No. 3: 49ers must be on point with tackling
In total, San Francisco missed just four tackles against Dallas, according to Pro Football Focus, which isn’t bad at all considering some of the tackling woes the 49ers have had in previous years.
Yet there were a handful of those tackles that could have prevented some gut-wrenching situations from panning out.
Linebacker Fred Warner, whom PFF credited with two of those four missed tackles, missed a tackle on Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott on a key third-down play that resulted in a first down. Additionally, cornerback Emmanuel Moseley was credited with a missed tackle that helped spring a big gain, too.
Again, the fact Dallas managed just the 17 points and 307 all-purpose yards during the game is a testament to the Niners defense and the tackles this unit made overall.
But, in a situation where Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers can seemingly extend offensive drives at will, San Francisco can ill-afford even the slightest missteps or gaffes that’ll allow for additional first-down conversions and elongated possessions.