49ers–Cowboys rivalry
San Francisco 49ers
Dallas Cowboys
| |
| Location | San Francisco, Dallas |
|---|---|
| First meeting | November 20, 1960 49ers 26, Cowboys 14[1] |
| Latest meeting | October 27, 2024 49ers 30, Cowboys 24[1] |
| Stadiums | 49ers: Levi's Stadium Cowboys: AT&T Stadium |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 41[1] |
| All-time series | 49ers: 21–19–1[1] |
| Regular season series | 49ers: 17–14–1[1] |
| Postseason results | Cowboys: 5–4[1] |
| Largest victory | 49ers: 42–10 (2023) Cowboys: 59–14 (1980)[1] |
| Longest win streak | 49ers: 6 (1981–1990) Cowboys: 5 (1972–1980)[1] |
| Current win streak | 49ers: 4 (2022–present)[1] |
| Post–season history[1] | |
| |
The 49ers–Cowboys rivalry is a National Football League (NFL) rivalry between the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys.[2][3]
As the Cowboys play in NFC East and the 49ers in the NFC West, they do not play every year; instead, they play at least once every three years and at least once every six seasons at each team's home stadium due to the NFL's rotating division schedules when their respective divisions are paired up. Additionally, not only both teams could meet in the playoffs, but also if they finish in the same place in their respective divisions, they would play the ensuing season.[4][5][6][7][8][9]
It is one of the greatest inter-division rivalries in the NFL. Sports Illustrated ranked it as the eighth best rivalry[10] while the NFL Top 10 ranked this rivalry to be the tenth best in the NFL.[11] In 2020, CBS ranked it as the No. 1 NFL rivalry of the 1990s.[12][13] The rivalry was also the subject of two 2015 episodes of NFL Network's The Timeline entitled "A Tale of Two Cities" with actors Sam Elliott (Cowboys) and Jeremy Renner (49ers) as narrators.[14][15][16]
The 49ers lead the overall series, 21–19–1. The two teams have met nine times in the playoffs, with the Cowboys holding a 5–4 record.[1]
History
[edit] | This section needs additional citations for verification. (January 2024) |
The Cowboys and 49ers have faced each other in the postseason nine times, the second most between any two NFL teams (behind only the 49ers-Packers rivalry; those two teams have met ten times). The rivalry between the Cowboys and 49ers started gaining traction in the 1970s. The Cowboys defeated the 49ers in the 1970 and 1971 NFC Championship games, and again in the 1972 Divisional Playoff Game. The 1981 NFC Championship Game in San Francisco, which saw the 49ers' Joe Montana complete a game-winning pass to Dwight Clark in the final minute (now known as The Catch) is one of the most famous games in NFL history.[17][18][19]
The rivalry became even more intense from 1992 to 1994 when the two teams faced each other in the NFC Championship Game during all three seasons. Dallas won the first two match-ups while San Francisco won the third, and in each of these pivotal match-ups, the game's victor went on to win the Super Bowl. With the Cowboys winning the Super Bowl following the 1995 season, from 1992 to 1995, either the Cowboys or the 49ers were Super Bowl champions, giving both teams five each – which, at the time, was tied for the most by any NFL team and later NFC team (currently, both teams are tied for third behind the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots with six each).[20][21][22]
The rivalry went cold for many years due to the two teams’ inability to make the postseason in the same year after 1998 and until 2021, when both teams made the playoffs and were matched against each other in the Wild Card Round in Dallas.[23] The 49ers won that game 23–17. The two teams would meet each other in the 2022 playoff divisional round, which saw the 49ers take a 19–12 win.[24][25] Both teams qualified for the 2023 postseason. However, the teams' fellow rival, the Green Bay Packers, defeated the Cowboys, becoming the first 7 seed to win a playoff game against the 2 seed. The loss not only prevented a third straight matchup with the 49ers, but also allowed the Packers and 49ers to play in a record 10th playoff game.[26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33]
Players who have won championships with both teams include defensive end Charles Haley, linebacker Ken Norton Jr., and cornerback Deion Sanders.[34][35]
As of the 2023 season, the 49ers are one of two NFC teams that the Cowboys have a losing record against, along with the Green Bay Packers.[36]
Season-by-season results
[edit]| San Francisco 49ers vs. Dallas Cowboys Season-by-Season Results[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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1960s (49ers, 3–1–1)
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1970s (Cowboys, 6–1)
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1980s (49ers, 5–1)
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1990s (49ers, 5–4)
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2000s (Cowboys, 3–2)
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2010s (Cowboys, 3–1)
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2020s (49ers, 4–1)
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Summary of Results
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See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "All Matchups, San Francisco 49ers vs. Dallas Cowboys". Pro Football Reference.
- ^ Munoz, Michelle. "Cowboys-49ers: A Rivalry for the Ages". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2022-06-29.
- ^ "Dynasties, guarantees and 'The Catch': Cowboys and 49ers have a rich playoff history". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-06-29.
- ^ Pavlović, Svetozar (2023-10-09). "49ers - Cowboys: Which recent games had the biggest points difference?". Diario AS. Retrieved 2024-02-03.
- ^ "Creating the NFL Schedule". Operations.NFL.com. NFL Enterprises, LLC. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
- ^ Davis, Scott. "The NFL schedule is created with the help of a simple formula". Business Insider. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
- ^ "NFL gives East teams a break traveling West". ESPN.com. 2009-03-23. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
- ^ Trapasso, Chris. "How Is the NFL Schedule Created?". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
- ^ "How Does Scheduling Work In The NFL? | Understanding NFL Scheduling Formula". www.sportskeeda.com. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
- ^ "NFL's Best Rivalries". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2024-03-13.
- ^ Top 10 Bitter Rivalries Throughout NFL History | NFL Films on YouTube
- ^ DeArdo, Bryan (July 1, 2020). "NFL's top rivalries of the 1990s: Cowboys part of two legendary matchups". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2022-08-30.
- ^ "The Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers have shared some truly unforgettable moments". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
- ^ Ochoa, R. J. (2015-12-19). "NFL Films "A Tale of Two Cities": A 2-Part Look Into The Rivalry Of The Cowboys & 49ers". Inside The Star Archives. Retrieved 2024-03-13.
- ^ "A Tale of Two Cities: 49ers and Cowboys Part 1". NFL.com. Retrieved 2024-03-13.
- ^ "A Tale of Two Cities: 49ers and Cowboys Part 2". NFL.com. Retrieved 2024-03-13.
- ^ Dubow, Josh (2023-01-19). "Cowboys-49ers rivalry set for record-tying 9th playoff game". AP News. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
- ^ Fucillo, David (2023-01-22). "History of playoff rivalry between Cowboys and 49ers". DraftKings Network. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
- ^ Adam Bradshaw and Andrew Schnitker, Adam Bradshaw and Andrew Schnitker (2022-01-11). "Cowboys-49ers: A rivalry rekindled for playoffs". KXAN Austin. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
- ^ Kennedy, Alex (2024-02-12). "Which NFL team has the most Super Bowl wins?". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
- ^ "Super Bowl winners by team: Who has the most championships in NFL history? | Sporting News". www.sportingnews.com. 2023-02-13. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
- ^ "Rivalry recap: Cowboys vs. 49ers". NFL.com. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
- ^ "Rivalry renewed: Cowboys-49ers matchup retaking its place atop the NFL". ESPN.com. 2023-10-06. Retrieved 2024-02-24.
- ^ "49ers vs. Cowboys: A Historic Rivalry Renewed". www.49ers.com. Retrieved 2022-06-29.
- ^ "49ers-Cowboys rivalry roars back to life, 27 years after Eric Davis ignited last chapter". The Mercury News. 2022-01-15. Retrieved 2022-06-29.
- ^ Hamm, Timm (January 25, 2024). "'Ain't Gonna Work!' Deion Supports Coach McCarthy, Reveals Cowboys Weakness". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
- ^ Beviglia, Jim (January 24, 2024). "Why Can't Dallas Win in the NFL Playoffs?". CapperTek. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
- ^ "Packers 48-32 Cowboys (Jan 14, 2024) Game Recap". ESPN.com. January 14, 2024. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
- ^ "By the numbers: Green Bay Packers dominate Dallas Cowboys". ESPN.com. 2024-01-15. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
- ^ Treacy, Dan (2024-01-14). "No. 7 seeds to win an NFL playoff game: How Packers made history with wild-card win over Cowboys | Sporting News". www.sportingnews.com. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
- ^ "The Packers visit the 49ers for record-setting 10th playoff matchup". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
- ^ "Packers, Niners meeting for 10th time in playoffs | Arkansas Democrat Gazette". www.arkansasonline.com. 2024-01-18. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
- ^ "Packers-49ers playoff rivalry has produced many memorable moments". spectrumnews1.com. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
- ^ Lombardi, David (September 30, 2020). "'Center stage': Reliving the revolutionary Cowboys-49ers rivalry of the 1990s". The Athletic. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
- ^ "Rivalry recap: Cowboys vs. 49ers". NFL.com. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
- ^ "Dallas Cowboys Records by Opponent". FootballDB.com. Archived from the original on December 28, 2020. Retrieved December 28, 2020.