Grades from 49ers slugfest win vs. Cowboys in NFL playoffs

The 49ers faced their toughest test during their win streak and came away from a 19-12 victory over the Cowboys. Niner Noise grades the hard-fought victory.

The San Francisco 49ers exorcised their playoff demons of the 2010s in beating the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card round, and they were able to exorcise playoff demons from the 1990s in beating the Dallas Cowboys in the divisional round on Sunday afternoon at Levi’s Stadium.

The game started slowly with neither offense able to create any traction, until the Niners defense, courtesy of cornerback Deommodore Lenoir, intercepted Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.

San Francisco’s offense was unable to punch it in the end zone, however, finishing up with three points.

Dallas marched down the field and scored a touchdown (with a blocked point-after attempt at the end). And after the 49ers managed to scrounge another field goal, the Cowboys were driving down the field again until linebacker Fred Warner picked off Prescott, allowing San Francisco to sneak in another field goal.

The second half featured a fumble by Niners wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud on a punt return that allowed Dallas another field goal, but after that, the 49ers offense began to drive a little more, eventually getting a touchdown.

After that, it was a slugfest, with the 49ers defense doing just enough to hold on for a 19-12 victory.

The only thing that truly matters in the playoffs is the result of the game, but there’s still a lot to take away from how the players played.

Let’s jump into the games.