Mike McCarthy discounts must-win nature of Cowboys' Week 8 game

The Dallas Cowboys seek a crucial road win against San Francisco after the bye week.

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The Dallas Cowboys, sitting at a middling 3-3 after their bye week, head west for a pivotal matchup against the San Francisco 49ers.

While Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy refrained from calling Sunday's game a "season tilter," he did acknowledge it's an opportunity to get back on track, stating, "This is an opportunity to get our fourth win. We need to pick up our game."

The Cowboys, currently third in the NFC East behind the Philadelphia Eagles and the first-place Washington Commanders, are looking to build momentum after an up-and-down start to the season.

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Winning against the 49ers, a team that has dominated the Cowboys for the past three seasons, would give Dallas a boost as they approach the challenging stretch ahead, despite their struggles and injuries.

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Dallas is hoping to have key players like All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland and star linebacker Micah Parsons to return to the lineup after they missed time due to injuries.

Their return would give a significant boost to the Cowboys' defense, which currently ranks 25th against the run and 30th in scoring defense.

Meanwhile, the 49ers are coming off a 28-18 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs and have experienced their share of ups and downs this season.

San Francisco eagerly awaits the return of their all-world running back, Christian McCaffrey. However, after yesterday's game, they may have potentially lost wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk for the season due to a torn ACL.

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