Jan 14, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers defensive end Arik Armstead (91) gestures after Nick Bosa (97, not shown) recovered a fumble in the third quarter of a wild card game against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
Dallas Cowboys: Inside the numbers for the Divisional Playoffs
The streak is over.
After winning a road playoff game for the first time in 30 years, the Dallas Cowboys (12-5, 4-4 away) look to make it two straight and earn a berth in the NFC Championship Game when they take on the San Francisco 49ers (13-4, 8-1 home) in the final game of this weekend’s Divisional playoffs at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. Here is a look inside the numbers the 49ers will bring into Sunday afternoon’s showdown.
1 – This is where the 49ers’ defense ranks, first, in some of the most important defensive categories this season. They top the rankings in total yards allowed per game at 300.6, points per game allowed at 16.7, and turnover differential with a plus-13 – snagging 20 interceptions and recovering 10 fumbles this season. They rank second in rushing yards allowed at 77.7 per game, behind only Tennessee at 76.9.
18½ – San Francisco defensive end Nick Bosa has been an offense wrecker since entering the NFL in 2019. This season was his best yet, finishing with the NFL lead in sacks, just one-half short of 19 for this season. Bosa recorded a sack in 13 of the games he played, including one playoff game; Bosa only had four games – Las Vegas, Tampa Bay, Carolina, and Seattle, where he didn’t record a sack. On the other hand, he had a season-high three sacks in a win over Miami. With 43 career sacks, Bosa is already 12th all-time in the franchise record books, just 65 behind leader Cedrick Hardman, who had 108 from 1970 to 1979.
169 – When the Cowboys and 49ers met in last season’s Wild Card round of the playoffs, San Francisco didn’t have running back Christian McCaffrey to lean on. No, they had Elijah Mitchell and Deebo Samuel, and they did just fine, bludgeoning the Cowboys’ run defense to the tune of 169 yards on 37 carries. Mitchell finished with 96 yards on 27 totes, while Samuel carried the ball just 10 times for a whopping 72 yards. Their combined 4.56 yards per carry and two touchdowns were enough to push them past Dallas 23-17.
365.6 – Despite being down to the third-string quarterback – a rookie that was the last pick in the draft, the 49ers’ offense didn’t seem to suffer. In fact, it improved with the in-season addition of running back Christian McCaffery, adding him to an offense that already employs playmakers at tight end – George Kittle and wide receiver – Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk. Together, the group averaged nearly 366 yards per game, good enough for fifth best in the NFL this season. The 49ers averaged 226.8 yards passing and 138.8 yards rushing before putting up 505 total yards in their Wild Card round win over Seattle this past weekend.
685 – While he has only played in seven playoff games, San Francisco wide receiver Deebo Samuel has put up 685 total yards on 62 touches. That includes a 165 total-yard performance in the 49ers’ win over Seattle in their playoff opener last weekend. In his seven postseason appearances, Samuel has rushed for 271 yards on 36 carries, for a 7.53 yards per carry average, and caught 26 passes for 414 yards, which is an even better 15.92 yards per grab. All while helping the 49ers to a 5-2 record in those games.
704 – In just six seasons in the Bay Area, San Francisco kicker Robbie Gould has climbed to fourth on the franchise’s all-time points scored list after passing the 700-point threshold with a 15-point game last weekend. Gould trails only wide receiver Jerry Rice (1130 points), kicker Ray Wersching (979), and kicker Tommy Davis (738) on that list of franchise scoring leaders. In his 49ers career, Gould has connected on 221 of 230 extra points and 161 of 184 field goals to average 7.8 points per game, second in team history behind David Akers (9.3).
1,015 – For the first time in his career, San Francisco wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk broke the 1,000-yard barrier in the regular season. He eclipsed the mark while putting up 59 yards in a season finale win over Arizona. Adding another 73 yards in the 49ers’ playoff win over Seattle, Aiyuk heads into Sunday’s game against Dallas as the team leader with 1,088 yards on 81 catches. He clipped the 100-yard mark just one time this season, going for 101 yards in a Week 17 win over Las Vegas.
