Stan Szeto-USA TODAY Sports
San Francisco 49ers fans are confident their team will emerge with a victory over the Dallas Cowboys this weekend, the opening weekend of the NFL playoffs. Kyle Shanahan’s squad has become a bit of a sexy Wild Card pick.
The Cowboys are favored by three points, and the Niners are the road team. They boarded a Dallas-bound plane after Friday’s practice and enter the matchup with a lot of confidence. The 49ers also could be healthier than they have been all season.
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is still dealing with a thumb injury, but he delivered a gutsy performance in last weekend’s regular-season finale against the Los Angeles Rams. He’s just one of the reasons why Fox Sports personality Colin Cowherd predicts San Francisco to escape AT&T Stadium with a win.
“I went back and forth [on the pick],” Cowherd said on FS1’s The Herd. “I gotta go with my initial instinct. I’m taking San Francisco and the points and the upset win. Listen, the road team has won 10 of 14 Wild Card games over the last three years. It’s the majority.
“And the offense for San Francisco leads the NFL—huge stat—yards per play, 6.1. The 49ers offense is the hottest it’s been all year. Three of the last four games, 150 yards rushing plus.”
Garoppolo has been a very polarizing player in recent years, with many fans now eager for the 49ers to transition to rookie quarterback Trey Lance. However, Cowherd has a message for Garoppolo’s critics.
“Oh, by the way, all you Jimmy Garoppolo haters, it’s insane,” Cowherd said. “Here are the numbers post-Thanksgiving for Jimmy Garoppolo. Since Week 9, second in the league in completion percentage, first in passing yards per attempt, first in big passing plays.
“Since Thanksgiving, he’s a top-5 clutch quarterback in the league, and the Cowboys are one in five when they’re held under 100 rushing yards, and it’s hard to get to 100 against the Niners defense. I like the Niners to win 28-27. Take the points.”
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