Cowboys' path to beat 49ers starts by doing Emmitt Smith a solid

Sunday night's game has major implications for the 2023 NFL season as two of the top three NFC contenders, the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers, square off against each other for the first of potentially two times this year.

We know about the increased meaning it's recently gained: The 49ers have owned the Cowboys lately. In back-to-back years, they've sent America's Team home, both times shutting down Dak Prescott and the offense. Kellen Moore, despite all his statistical success, likely stopped being the offensive coordinator of this team because of those two losses.

So yeah, it's not hard to understand why head coach Mike McCarthy admitted this was "not just another game.” 

But there's also the historical significance of the rivalry. There's The Catch in 1982. There's Roger Staubach's 1972 fourth-quarter comeback. And don't get us started In the 1990s, when these were the teams. The absolute NFL's finest. 

Doing Emmitt Smith a solid can lead to a Cowboys win

Well, it just so happens there's one specific aspect of this game where history meets the present. The Cowboys' path to beating the 49ers starts by defending the legacy of none other than Emmitt Smith.

Why? 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey is gunning for Emmitt's historic mark of most consecutive games with a touchdown since 1990. McCaffrey is sitting at 13 and seeking to make it 14 against none other than Smith's team.