The San Francisco 49ers will close out a three-game homestand against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5. This is the third-straight season these NFC powerhouses will meet. Sunday also marks the first time these two franchises will meet in primetime during the regular season since the 1990 season. The 49ers have the chance to extend their best start since 2019 to 5-0 with a win over Dallas at Levi's® Stadium.
Here is what both teams had to say ahead of the Week 5 "Sunday Night Football" matchup:
Niners Liners
Head coach Kyle Shanahan on the intensified rivalry between the 49ers and Cowboys:
"Any time you play each other in the playoffs and stuff, it's always usually a bit bigger the next year. With that being back-to-back, it was huge. That's what I always remembered growing up because of the three years I was here when I was younger. They played in the NFC Championship all three years that I lived here. Playing them in the playoffs two years ago was reminiscent of that, and it was a Divisional Round, or Wild Card Round, and then last year, with the Divisional Round, those histories stack up just like people in your division. Usually, when it's a playoff game everyone remembers it a little bit more."
Shanahan on the excitement in the locker room for the Week 5 matchup:
"Sunday night, Monday night, Thursday night - there's always a little more excitement in the building knowing everyone's watching you. I have a lot of respect for the Cowboys and how good of a team they are. We know the challenge that we have in front of us, and I think we're aware of the rivalry and the history, which is always cool. Besides that, it's Week 5."
Shanahan on the huge challenge that the Cowboys pass rush will be for the 49ers offensive line:
"It's just how fast they play. (Defensive coordinator) Dan Quinn is as good as anyone at the D-line. In general, I think one of the biggest tests for every team in the NFL is how much better you get each game because the lack of practice and stuff that big people get in the offseason compared to what it takes to be ready is just not enough. No one's ever there in Week 1, especially up front. Run blocking, pass blocking, you need a lot more reps of that to get better as a unit. That's why these games are so important. The more games you can stay healthy and the more games you can play together, usually you get better throughout the year."
Quarterback Brock Purdy on the takeaways from playing Dallas in the NFC Divisional Round:
"It was obviously a fourth quarter game. It was a very physical game. They did a good job of what they do up front, stopping the run, getting in on some pass plays and disrupting the rhythm of some of our concepts... Those are things we saw. They're a good defense. They do some really good things up front. The secondary is really good too. (It's) looking at that game and sort of putting ourselves back into what was at stake, as a playoff game, the rivalry of the organizations and understanding what's at stake for this Sunday too. It's a big game. We've definitely gone back and looked at a lot of stuff in that game."
Defensive lineman Nick Bosa on facing Dallas early in the season:
"They're a good team, and they bring it every time we've seen them in the playoffs the past two years. It's a big game, but you also don't want to make it too big because it's just another regular season game."
Linebacker Fred Warner on the renewed rivalry with the Cowboys in the 2020s:
"We understand the history of the 49ers and Cowboys. I'm happy that we've been able to make it a matchup that people can get excited about... People get excited about this matchup because of what it's always been. I think it makes it more exciting that both teams are playing as well as they are."
Cowboys Quotes
Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy's message to his team regarding the stakes of this matchup versus the 49ers:
"It's an important game. You understand the history. There's obviously a lot of tradition with this game, and that's a part of it. You live to play in these kinds of games. You dream about these kinds of games. You don't want to make it bigger than it is, but the reality is it's not just another game.
McCarthy on the Cowboys preparations for Week 5:
"The important thing is for us to learn (from Week 4). We took Tuesday morning to go through it. There's a number of things we can improve on from Sunday's game. Watching their tape and getting into it, they're playing well. I've been very impressed so far with what I've seen. We're just keeping our eye on the target."
Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott on moving on from their bounce back game and looking ahead to San Francisco:
"Now it's about turning the page and studying the hell out of these (49ers) and understanding who they've been and what this matchup has been the past couple of years. I've played them in the playoffs, and I understand it's a team that if we get to where we want to get, we have to play them again, come playoffs. I look forward to the matchup and turning the page… and coming up with a great gameplan."
Dallas defensive coordinator Dan Quinn on preparing for the 49ers offense:
"The formula for San Francisco, you see the effectiveness of their starts, not just in the run game but also scoring and finishing. Certainly, Christian McCaffrey has been at the top of that list, for sure. We'll have our work cut out for us… but it's gonna be a lot of fun."
Dallas linebacker Leighton Vander Esch on looking forward to the Cowboys vs. 49ers rematch:
"That's one I've definitely had my eye on, and everybody has, but we can't let our emotions get to us. We have to go out there and play the game of football like we know how to, and bring that style we usually play with. It's gotta be another great week of preparation."
