San Francisco 49ers: Previewing The Cowboys Game

The San Francisco 49ers play host to the Dallas Cowboys at Levi’s Stadium this Sunday in a highly anticipated match. Here is the preview!

The San Francisco 49ers are hosting the Dallas Cowboys at Levi’s Stadium looking for their first win of the 2017 season. And fromReuben Foster‘s possible return toC.J. Beathard‘s first career start, there are plenty of talking points to run through before the game.

C.J. Beathard

In what was expected to happen at some point this season,Brian Hoyerwas finally benched against the Washington Redskins during the second quarter after an abysmal start. C.J. Beathard, the rookie from Iowa, took over and finished the game with 19-36 completions, 245 yards, one touchdown and one interception right at the end of the game.

With Kyle Shanahan naming Beathard as the long-term starter, it is obviously a high point to watch over the course of this game, and for the rest of the season.

Beathard will be facing a Cowboys pass defense that currently ranks 16th in the league, allowing 221.8 pass yards per game. He should have all of his weapons ready to go, with the exception of fullbackKyle Juszczyk, who doesn’t look like he’ll be able to go again this week while dealing with an ongoing back injury.

Reuben Foster

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One of two first round picks by the 49ers, Reuben Foster hasn’t gotten any action since week one against the Carolina Panthers where he sustained a high ankle sprain. After releasingNaVorro Bowman, the Niners went to linebackersBrock CoyleandRay-Ray Armstrongfor week six against the Redskins, and it was clear that the Niners need Foster.

If he is a full-go, expect this defense to be extremely fired up like they were during the Panthers game. A linebacker combination of Foster and Armstrong should be fun to watch, especially since Armstrong has two interceptions, both occurring in or at the end zone.

49ers Secondary

Everyone who has watched the 49ers this season knows this secondary has issues, but they’re still very young. They currently rank 27th in pass defense, allowing 262.3 pass yards per game and they will be facing a pass offense that ranks 13th in the league with 232.2 pass yards per game.

A quarterback position led byDak Prescotthas plenty of weapons to attack this secondary with, such asDez Bryant,Jason Witten,Cole Beasleyand company.

Rashard Robinsonis coming off another solid performance against the Redskins, allowing only one catch on four throws coming his way, and he also picked offKirk Cousinson a huge overthrow.

Ahkello Witherspoonis starting to develop a bigger role within this defense, rotating multiple times with Robinson andDontae Johnson, so it will be interesting to see how he is used on Sunday.

At the safety position,Jimmie WardandJaquiski Tartthave been very impressive whileEric Reidmakes his way back into the starting lineup, which may be tough considering how well Ward and Tartt played. Last week against the Redskins, Ward racked up an overall grade of 82.2 and Tartt received an overall grade of 81.5 according toPro Football Focus.

The secondary will have to perform at a very high level to give the Niners a chance against Prescott and the Cowboys offense.

Solomon Thomas

WithArik Armsteadon IR for the foreseeable future,Solomon Thomasshould see an increased role in this defense. Last week against the Redskins, Thomas registered acareer-high nine tackles, seven solowhile also getting a sack onKirk Cousins, putting his 2017 sack total at 2.0.

Expect to see Thomas have another big performance that hopefully results in a win this time.

Thomas and the defensive line have the task to shut down the running game of Dallas, led byEzekiel Elliott,Alfred MorrisandDarren McFadden. The Cowboys are eighth in the league, averaging 124.0 rushing yards while the Niners have the 18th ranked rush defense ,allowing 112.8 rushing yards per game.

The Wrap-Up

The Cowboys have lost three out of their last four games and they are desperately seeking a win to keep their playoff hopes alive in a division that includes the 5-1 Philadelphia Eagles and the 3-2 Washington Redskins.

Next: 49ers Gunning For Top Draft Pick

The 49ers are 0-6 and have lost their last five games by a total of 13 points. They are a much better team than last year, even though the record doesn’t illustrate that. If the Niners can earn a win against their non-division rivals this week, every fan should feel satisfied!

The game will air on Fox starting at 1:05 PST.

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