Cowboys Playoff Revenge at 49ers? 'Remember The Pain!' Says Ezekiel Elliott

The Dallas Cowboys renew hostilities with the San Francisco 49ers with last year's ugly playoff exit still fresh in the mind.

The historic playoff rivalry between the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers will add another chapter on Sunday night at Levi's Stadium. ... one Cowboys Nation hopes this time will come without "pain.''

After sweeping aside the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, attention now turns to the team that ended Dallas' season last year in a sour way.

That feeling will be revisited this week at The Star with a constant reminder of what happened at AT&T Stadium last January. 

The loss still haunts running back Ezekiel Elliott.

"It hurt," Elliott said. "You just have to remember that pain.''

Pain and revenge and "scar tissue'' can be very motivating factors, and no doubt the Cowboys will be drawing on that as they face the juggernaut that is the 49ers.

So how does Dallas avenge last season's loss, this time in hostile territory? Many say it's about the run game with Elliott and Tony Pollard. However, the 49ers boast a superb defensive unit that is one of the NFL's best at stopping the run.

But that won't stop Zeke from trying to batter and bruise the 49ers' defensive line.

"I think the more blows you get, the more tired those guys will get," Elliott said. "It's tough for us, but easier for them earlier in the game when they're fresh. But as they get tired, you start to see those runs gain more and more yards."

Elliott managed 27 yards on 13 carries in last year's playoff loss, while Pollard could only muster 14 yards from four carries. 

Maybe they are two different players now, with Pollard the lightning out of the backfield and Zeke healthy enough to be more of a punishing style of running back. But just four rushes for Pollard? He wants more this time around.

"I would say just being more incorporated into the offense, into the scheme of things, knowing I have a bigger part of the game plan… I definitely feel like I have a bigger part in this one," Pollard said.

With Dallas facing arguably one of its toughest tests, the running prowess of Elliott and Pollard could prove crucial in vanquishing another demon from the Cowboys' psyche on Sunday night.

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