49ers news: Dak Prescott, Cowboys want playoff revenge vs. Niners

The 49ers defeated Dak Prescott and the Cowboys in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs a year ago, and Dallas hasn’t quite gotten over it.

Perhaps the San Francisco 49ers would have preferred to square off against quarterback Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the divisional round of the 2023 NFL playoffs, especially after the Bucs limped into the postseason as NFC South champions with an 8-9 record.

Instead, it’ll be the Dallas Cowboys advancing after they soundly defeated Brady and Co. on Monday night in the Wild Card round.

While Brady going up against his boyhood team for the second time in a season would have been a good storyline, a renewed chapter between the Niners and Cowboys should also make for must-watch television.

Especially considering what took place a year ago.

San Francisco defeated Dallas in the Wild Card game in January of 2022, of course, although the Cowboys nearly staged an improbable comeback at the hand of quarterback Dak Prescott, only to literally run out of time as the clock struck zero, and the 49ers retained the 23-17 victory.

Prescott hasn’t quite forgotten either.

Dak Prescott says last year’s loss to 49ers still motivates Cowboys

That postseason bout was the last time these two longtime rivals met, and Prescott made the point to reporters about how it still provides motivation to Dallas players.

“Damn right. Damn right,” Prescott said of last year’s defeat to the Niners serving as a motivator, via Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News. “And, obviously, after a game like last week, that helps remind you.”

Read More: The real story behind 49ers’ hated rivalry with Cowboys

Indeed, Dallas arguably played a more complete 2022 campaign than it did a season ago, finishing with a 12-5 regular-season record and only failing to clinch the NFC East because of the top-seeded Philadelphia Eagles going 14-3.

However, San Francisco is a much more complete team, too, improving upon what was already a good defense in 2021 and making it the No. 1 defense in the league this season.

Tack on the midseason addition of All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey, and there are plenty of reasons why the 49ers haven’t lost since October.

Brock Purdy is making 49ers’ QB choice in 2023 a tough one

Another reason the Niners haven’t lost in over two months is due to the play of rookie quarterback Brock Purdy, someone who has gone from a Mr. Irrelevant, as the final pick of the NFL Draft, to receiving shoutouts from none other than NBA legend LeBron James.

Purdy’s stellar outing in San Francisco’s Wild Card win over the Seattle Seahawks last weekend only reinforces the fact that head coach Kyle Shanahan has an awfully difficult decision to make with the quarterback spot later this calendar year.

Assuming free-agent-to-be quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo walks, is Purdy going to retain the starting job over the 49ers’ biggest draft investment from 2021, Trey Lance?

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (h/t 49ers Webzone), absolutely.

“Trey Lance, I think, could be very good, but it’s not like he was blowing the doors off the thing when he was in there earlier in the year,” Rapoport told KNBR 680 this week. “Brock Purdy comes in and has got that thing humming. I think it’s really impressive.”

Considering the buzz Purdy has created, it seems to be an easy choice.

“Like, how is he not the starting quarterback next year?” Rapoport continued.

Perhaps Purdy will reinforce his claim to the starting-quarterback throne next season by helping the Niners knock off Prescott and the Cowboys in the playoffs for a second consecutive year.

Dallas will play San Francisco in the divisional round on Sunday, Jan. 22 at 6:30 p.m. ET from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.