Sunday night's prime-time showdown between the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys sits as the most intriguing matchup of the Week 5 slate.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones views it as a measuring-stick game for his club.
"They are, right now, probably the most likely team to go win the Super Bowl, but in order for them to get there, they have to go by us, hopefully two times if that's the way it falls in the playoffs and we're in the playoffs, of course," Jones said on Tuesday during his weekly appearance on "Shan & RJ" on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. "But the bottom line is you're playing the best. You don't need the game to tell you you're playing the best, but you need the game to show you how you stack up against the best."
The 49ers have knocked the Cowboys out of the playoffs each of the past two seasons. In the 2021 season, San Francisco won 23-17 in Dallas in the Wild Card round on the infamous Dak Prescott run and spike with no time remaining. Last season, in Santa Clara, the Niners held on for a 19-12 win in the Divisional Round.
Sunday, the 49ers enter 4-0, scoring at least 30 points in each contest and allowing 14.5 points per game. The Cowboys sit at 3-1, with the lone hiccup a loss in Arizona, generating an 83 net scoring margin through four games (second-best in the NFL behind Buffalo's 84) while allowing 10.25 points per game.
The Week 5 power tilt won't just be a measuring-stick game for Dallas, but one for Kyle Shanahan's club as well.
"I'm a fan of football also first, growing up and everything and still am now," the Niners head coach said on Monday, via the team's transcript. "So anytime there's big matchups and stuff, especially for the night games, that's what's great for our league and there's nothing more fun than being a part of it as a player or a coach.
"These are like kind of the games you live for and you enjoy. But it's a whole week to get there, big preparation. It's still going to be the same type of game as always, just starts a little bit later and it's still just going to be as long. But I know people will be amped up. I love it when the rest of the league gets to watch you. When it's on national TV it's great for all the fans and stuff, but it's really cool that usually the players and everything and coaches are home by the end of the day and they get to see that game, too. I know that's what we enjoy the most."
