SANTA CLARA, Calif.—Often, the Dallas Cowboys have been the foil for the 49ers at historical junctions. Even though this is only the second game of the season, the Cowboys could once again define the fledgling Jim Harbaugh era. Should San Francisco defeat Dallas, it could infuse the 49ers with confidence and go a long way to possibly taking command in the NFC West.
"It feels like a Monday Night game," said the always excitable Vernon Davis. "It's the Dallas Cowboys."
The rest of the team took a far more buttoned up approach.
"This is week two, I don't think anybody is reading too much into this," quarterback Alex Smith said. "We are just trying to get a win on Sunday. That's all the focus is right now."
Nevertheless, the history between these two teams is undeniable. For three straight years (1970-2) the Cowboys extinguished the 49ers' Super Bowl aspirations by ousting them from the playoffs. It wasn't until 1981, when the 49ers crushed Dallas 45-14 that the 49ers started gaining league-wide attention. Then "The Catch" in the 1981 title game was not only a key milestone in San Francisco's first Super Bowl-winning season, it helped launch an unprecedented run of 16 playoff appearances in 17 seasons.
During the mid-1990's, the Cowboys and 49ers dominated the NFL scene by meeting in the title game three straight years (92-94) with the winner eventually taking the title.
There are undeniable parallels between these two teams. Both are considered underachievers particularly in their respective divisions. Both are attempting to recapture past glories and both are led by relatively inexperienced coaches with creative reputations. They also come from rich coaching families.
Jim Harbaugh's father, Jack, spent 47 years as a college coach and his only brother, John, is the head coach in Baltimore. Jason Garrett's father, Jim, was an assistant for the Giants, Saints and Browns before becoming the head coach at Columbia in 1985. Jason's younger brother, John, serves as the Cowboys' tight ends coach.
Both teams also have new defensive coordinators, who took opposite approaches to their season-opening games. The wild-eyed Rob Ryan likes to constantly shift his entire Cowboy defense throughout the opposing quarterback's cadence, which can cause problems, particularly for a new offense.
"You have to adjust on the fly, during the cadence, at the snap," Smith said. "All 11 of us have to see the same thing and have to adjust."
Offensively, Garrett, who also serves as the offensive coordinator, excels at hiding his play calls through a multitude of formations and personnel groups. Harbaugh also had a reputation for disguise at Stanford.
Who figures the other out first might not only win the game, but also might start a new era for their respective organizations.
