Cowboys at 49ers: Brock Purdy Flaw, 5 Keys to Win, Inactives

The Dallas Cowboys take on the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium with a trip to the NFC Championship on the line. But how do the Cowboys win in enemy territory?

After slaying Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Dallas Cowboys move on to the Divisional Round against the San Francisco 49ers.

With so much history between the two teams, the rivalry will add another chapter on Sunday night. 

But if the Cowboys are to get to their first NFC Championship game since 1993, how will they do it?

First, the inactives list for the Cowboys.

Tight end Peyton Hendershot, offensive tackle Jason Peters, quarterback Will Grier, linebacker Jabril Cox, cornerback Nahshon Wright, wide receiver Jalen Tolbert and defensive tackle Quinton Bohanna all landed on the inactive list.

And by doing these five things.

Keep Dak Prescott upright: This, as much as anything will have a significant bearing on the game's outcome. With arguably one of, if not the best defense in the NFL, keeping Prescott upright is critical for the Cowboys.

With the likes of Nick Bosa and Arik Armstead ready to wreak havoc, the Dallas offensive line is going to have its work cut out. The 49ers' defense sacked Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith three times last week, which can't happen to Prescott on Sunday night.

Keeping Dak nice and clean and out of harm's way is going to be one of the things offensive coordinator Kellen Moore would have been preaching this week at The Star.

No turnovers: We said this last week and look what happened. Dak Prescott and the offense was humming at Raymond James Stadium, and if the Cowboys have zero turnovers against the 49ers, they will put themselves in a great position to progress.

The performance against the Buccaneers isn't easy to replicate...especially against a ferocious defensive front.

In the last four games, the 49ers' defense has forced multiple turnovers and has at least one in their previous 10 games.

Can Dak and the Cowboys do something no team has managed to do against San Francisco since the Los Angeles Rams in Week 8 and have zero turnovers?

Putting it simply, they have to.

Start fast: Dak and head coach Mike McCarthy have stated that this week. The Cowboys have to start fast in Santa Clara. Taking the crowd out of the game as early as possible is a perfect tonic for winning.

Dallas did so against Tampa Bay last Monday night, and they will need to do so again in the Divisional Round. The Seahawks were held scoreless in the first quarter last week, and in Week 18, the Arizona Cardinals could only muster six points.

Starting fast will go a long way in doing something only three teams have managed against the 49ers in 18 games...score more than 28 points.

Run Dak Run: CowboysSI made a point of emphasizing this in the lead-up to the Buccaneers game. Prescott and his running ability can be a viable weapon, and we saw as much in Tampa.

Prescott had seven rushes for 24 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for a big first down to keep a Dallas drive going.

With Dak a threat using run-option plays with running backs Tony Pollard and Ezekiel Elliott which worked superbly well on Monday night, and it could also be used Sunday as a way to negate Nick Bosa and the 49ers' scary pass rush.

Make Purdy uncomfortable: The rookie sensation has been playing lights out since coming in for the injury Jimmy Garoppolo. But can he do it against Dan Quinn's defense?

While the 49ers are on an 11-game winning streak, something that is worth noting is Brock Purdy has yet to face a defense like the Cowboys'. 

Can Quinn make Purdy uncomfortable in the pocket and throw some things at the rookie that he hasn't seen before? He might have to if Dallas is to have a chance in this one.

Look for this: Purdy "discomfort'' in the specific form of Dallas pass-rushers going for his arm, and the ball - strip-sacks - more than trying to tackle him.

There is a takeaway to be had there, we predict.

In their last four games, the 49ers haven't scored less than 37 points, and if they manage to do so again, the Cowboys' season will likely end.

Getting the rookie off his line and making him hold the ball for even a second or two longer could allow the likes of Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Dorance Armstrong to make life difficult for the 49ers quarterback.

Additional key, tackle well: With the likes of Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffery and a host of offensive aliens at Kyle Shanahan's disposal, the Cowboys need to tackle well.

No missed tackles and once a Cowboys player gets hands on a 49ers player, don't let go. We saw the Seahawks get punished for missed tackles and Dallas can't allow roaming receivers in the secondary due to missed tackles.

In our 15-minute visit this week with Dan Quinn, he must've used the word "attach'' a half-dozen times. By "attach,'' he means tackling. No big yards-after-catch splash plays. No "explosive'' plays, at coach Mike McCarthy calls them, when all it took was a tackle to prevent them.

Additional key. Big key.

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