George Kittle must be 49ers' biggest X-factor on Sunday night vs. Cowboys

The 49ers are going to need George Kittle to step up in a massive way in Week 8 against the visiting Cowboys.

There's a good chance the San Francisco 49ers are going to remain awfully shorthanded at wide receiver when they host the 3-3 Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football in Week 8.

Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (ACL, MCL) is already done for the year after suffering his brutal knee injury in the Week 7 loss versus the Kansas City Chiefs, while fellow wideout Jauan Jennings is dealing with a hip injury and is doubtful to play, according to general manager John Lynch's appearance on KNBR 680 this week.

Even worse, the Niners could potentially be without wide receiver Deebo Samuel, who is just recovered from a pneumonia bout that landed him in the hospital earlier in the week.

True, Dallas' defense ranks next to the bottom, in terms of points allowed this season, and quarterback Brock Purdy should be able to bounce back from the disasterclass he put on display against KC.

However, he'll need a little bit of help. And it should come in the form of tight end George Kittle.

49ers need George Kittle to take over Week 8 vs. Cowboys

Kittle enjoyed a six-reception, 92-yard performance amid San Francisco's injury woes versus KC, and that kind of effort might need to replicate again when the Cowboys come to town.

Dallas won't soon forget, either, the actions Kittle performed a year ago when the 49ers beat the Cowboys 42-10 in prime time, donning an NSFW tee shirt under his uniform that sparked some anti-Dallas sentiment and subsequent controversy.

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That certainly will make the Cowboys more eager to contain the All-Pro tight end, although it might not be quite as easy if Dallas' star linebacker, Micah Parsons (ankle), is unavailable to play.

Kittle, too, is dealing with a foot injury but managed to return to practice this week, suggesting he'll be good to go for Sunday's contest.

Purdy trusts Kittle as a go-to option. The quarterback might not feel the exact same with other fringe wide receivers with whom he hasn't quite built a solid rapport yet, namely rookies Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing, who each made their offensive debuts in Week 7.

If Kittle replicates the kind of effort he showed in Week 7, and Purdy eliminates the kind of mistakes he made in that same game, the Niners should be able to bounce back and get to the .500 mark once again.

San Francisco kicks off against Dallas on Sunday, Oct. 27 at 8:20 p.m. ET from Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

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