• RB Jordan Mason, San Francisco 49ers — over 78.5 rushing yards: With the flood of injuries to the Niners’ key contributors in the passing game, expect Kyle Shanahan to lean on his effective ground game to grind out opposing defenses. Powered by Jordan Mason, this running game has seen a consistent presence to lean on in the face of roster turnover.
• 2024 Record through Week 7: 17-17 (50%, -0.02 units won)
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Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Dallas Cowboys vs San Francisco 49ers (-4.5) [Total: 46.5]
Game Overview
Sunday’s slate concludes with a showdown between two of the NFL’s most storied franchises and NFC rivals — the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers. Both teams, however, have faced challenges in 2024 that could threaten their playoff hopes.
Dallas, coming off its Week 7 bye, is still not at full strength. Edge defender Micah Parsons continues to manage an ankle injury, while cornerback DaRon Bland has yet to play in 2024 due to a setback in his rehab.
The Cowboys did receive a boost, though, by promoting veteran RB Dalvin Cook to the active roster. Cook is expected to debut this week, and the team hopes his presence will inject some life into their struggling offense, though his exact role and impact remain uncertain.
Blocking issues have been at the heart of the Cowboys' offensive struggles, with the team ranked 27th in overall blocking grade (63.8).
Moving Tyler Smith to left tackle has shifted their problems inward, as T.J. Bass has struggled to adapt at left guard. Since stepping into a full-time role in Week 5, Bass has posted a 31.3 PFF pass-blocking grade.
On the other side, the 49ers are dealing with their own set of challenges, preparing for this matchup without their top three receivers: Brandon Aiyuk (ACL/MCL) is out for the season, Deebo Samuel could be sidelined with an illness and Jauan Jennings is nursing a hip injury. This leaves George Kittle (foot), who is also questionable, with the burden of leading a depleted receiving corps.
Injuries to key playmakers, as Brock Purdy has experienced this season, inevitably impact offensive efficiency. Purdy had managed to weather these losses early on, but this current situation may be his toughest test yet.
Last week highlighted this potential downturn, as Purdy earned his second-lowest single-game passing grade (48.0) of his career, plagued by three turnover-worthy plays and a 23.8 passing grade under pressure.
RB Jordan Mason, San Francisco 49ers: Over 78.5 rushing yards
With the flood of injuries to the Niners’ key contributors in the passing game, expect Kyle Shanahan to lean on his effective ground game to grind out opposing defenses. Powered by Jordan Mason, this running game has seen a consistent presence to lean on in the face of roster turnover.
The young back has averaged over 95 rushing yards per game this season, reaching this number in four contests. Mason also ranks second at the position in missed tackles forced (32), and he leads the NFL in runs of 10 or more yards (19).
This presents a challenge for a Dallas defense with the league’s lowest team run-defense grade (42.1) and the highest EPA allowed per rush — a rate more than double that of the next-closest team.
In their last game in Week 6, this defense surrendered seven explosive runs to Lions running backs.
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