S.F. downs Dallas to earn trip to NFC title game

Samson Ebukam sacks Dak Prescott to power Dallas three-and-out. San Francisco has the ball with a seven-point lead at its 42-yard line. Two-minute warning.

Three extra factors, and possibly simply as crucial, one other 7 minutes, 59 seconds off the clock. Robbie Gould drilled his fourth area purpose of the sport, a 28-yarder, to cap a drive that featured a heavy dose of Elijah Mitchell speeding and Brock Purdy changing two key third-down passes. Purdy is as much as 199 yards on 17-of-27 passing. Not wherever close to the profession numbers he put up towards Seattle within the wild-card recreation, however thus far he is conserving the ball shifting with out making any crucial rookie errors. San Francisco leads 19-12 with 3:04 left.

Brett Maher is now 2-for-2 on area objectives at this time after making a 43-yarder to drag the Cowboys inside 16-12 with 11:03 left.

Christian McCaffrey bursts up the center for a two-yard landing to place the 49ers up 16-9 with 14:58 left within the fourth quarter. McCaffrey has 35 yards on 10 carries and 4 catches for 17 yards.

Ann Killion, columnist: It took till 5:58 remaining within the third quarter, however the 49ers offense lastly got here alive. They put collectively their most intensive drive. The ten-play 91-yard drive was highlighted by George Kittle’s unbelievable, bobble-with-both-hands-off-the-facemask-grab-and-roll 29-yard reception. Additionally on the drive, some important runs and two key Dallas holding penalties, one towards Kittle who did a bit of arm dance in celebration whereas mendacity on the bottom. The Cowboys have accomplished a great job defensively (my pregame prediction of a rating within the 30s appears completely ridiculous) however proceed to implode at key occasions. Dak Prescott has had two interceptions and Fred Warner broke up a possible landing cross in the long run zone. Maintain on for a wild last quarter.

George Kittle with the one-hand faucet to helmet tip to bobble to outstretched seize for 30 yards. Simply watch the video. 

A Cowboys drive that began with a flash ended with a fizzle. Following a 41-yard bomb from Dak Prescott to CeeDee Lamb, the 49ers’ protection held Dallas three-and-out. San Francisco takes over on the Cowboys’ 9 with about six minutes left within the third.

After his fumbled punt return arrange the Cowboy’s tying area purpose, 49ers receiver Ray-Ray McCloud takes the following kick return 65 yards to the Dallas 45.

Now it is the 49ers’ flip to fret about particular groups. Ray-Ray McCloud fumbled the punt return and the Cowboys take over on the San Francisco 21 in an enormous momentum shift. The Cowboys had first-and-goal on the 9 however could not punch it in. Maligned kicker Brett Maher earns some cred again with a 25-yard area purpose to tie it 9-9 with 9:08 left within the third.

Dallas operating again Tony Pollard is out for the remainder of the sport with an ankle harm, an enormous loss for an already struggling offense. 

Michael Silver, columnist: One staff received its kicks. The opposite … not a lot. Three Robbie Gould area objectives, together with a 50-yarder on the ultimate play of the half (to make it 9-6 Niners), ran his profession postseason tally to 28-for-28: perfection. Then there are the Cowboys, who earlier had taken the lead on a Dak Prescott to Dalton Schultz landing cross, solely to ship a kicker with the yips onto the sector in a playoff recreation. Brett Maher’s further level was blocked, by Samson Ebukam. Maher is now 1-for-6 on PATs within the preseason and 1 for his final 7 since Week 18. How the Cowboys arrived on the choice to stay with him after Monday evening’s debacle in Tampa, I’ll by no means perceive. The Cowboys are doing an incredible job pressuring Brock Purdy on the cross rush. In the meantime, the Niners have intercepted Prescott twice. It is a tight recreation. It may come right down to kicks. What may go improper for the Cowboys?

Kyle Shanahan let 28 seconds run off the clock earlier than calling a timeout on third down on the 49ers’ 37, apparently taking a cautious strategy, not wanting the Cowboys to get the ball again earlier than half with any probability to attain. Brock Purdy makes two key connections, together with a 21-yarder to Jauan Jennings to arrange Robbie Gould’s 50-yard area purpose to take a 9-6 lead because the second-quarter clock hit zeroes. Purdy barely averted an enormous mistake the play earlier than, holding on to it too lengthy earlier than crusing it out of bounds with one second left. 

Jimmie Ward suggestions a Dak Prescott cross into the arms of 49ers’ All-Professional linebacker Fred Warner, who snags San Francisco’s second interception of the sport. It is 49ers’ ball on the San Francisco 28 with 1:15 left within the second quarter.

Defensive finish Charles Omenihu returns for the 49ers protection, which simply stopped the Cowboys on third-and-seven on the S.F. 35-yard line. It was linebacker Fred Warner’s sixth sort out of the sport. Relatively than danger one other miss from kicker Brett Maher, Dallas went for it on fourth-and-four. Dak Prescott escaped the blitz and ran up the center 9 yards for a primary down. Cowboys RB Tony Pollard, who rushed for over 1,000 yards this season, goes down with an harm with a couple of minute and a half to go earlier than halftime. 

Tally one other for Robbie Gould. The 49ers’ 10-play, 5:42 drive stalls on the 29-yard line however Gould’s second area purpose of the day ties it at 6-6 with 3:43 to play within the first half. Brock Purdy is 10-for-14 for 98 yards, and whereas it hasn’t precisely been fireworks within the air, the 49ers’ floor assault has been nonexistent. Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel and Elijah Mitchell have mixed for 16 yards on seven carries.

On fourth-and-one on the 49ers’ 19, Dak Prescott throws a display screen to CeeDee Lamb, who makes Professional Bowl security Talanoa Hufanga miss and runs to the San Francisco 15, establishing an 11-yard keeper for Prescott. He linked with Dalton Schultz for a 4-yard landing on the subsequent play, just for Dallas’ special-teams woes to proceed. Samson Ebukam blocked Brett Maher’s extra-point try. Cowboys lead 6-3 with 9:25 left within the second quarter.

Defensive finish Charles Omenihu, who made the important thing strip sack in final week’s wild-card win, went to the 49esr’ locker room however his harm and standing stay unclear because the second quarter begins.

On third-and-goal on the Dallas 8, the Cowboys flushed Brock Purdy out of the pocket and he barely escapes to toss it incomplete. Robbie Gould’s 26-yard area purpose places San Francisco up 3-0 with 2:12 left within the first quarter.

Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir jumps Cowboys receiver Michael Gallup’s route and simply picks off Dak Prescott. It was Lenoir’s second interception this postseason. San Francisco takes over on the Dallas 21. 

Brock Purdy hit George Kittle in stride on a publish route for a 31-yard acquire on his first cross try. His third try did not look as sharp: a bomb to Brandon Aiyuk that may need been intercepted had Aiyuk not gotten a hand up. The Cowboys pressured a punt and can take over on the 49ers’ 20.

Brock Purdy, meet Micah Parsons. Parsons helped drop Purdy for a sack on the second play of the sport, and the 49ers went three-and-out. Nick Bosa then drew a holding name on the Cowboys’ first offensive snap and the 49ers pressured a punt with about 10 minutes left within the first quarter.

Ann Killion, columnist: 49ers 35, Cowboys 33 — I don’t have an incredible feeling about this recreation for the 49ers: That is their hardest check within the Brock Purdy period and I do assume that the larger the stage, the larger the stress and the larger the yips. However I feel the 49ers are the superior staff, though they don’t seem to be the extra examined staff.  It additionally feels a bit of just like the Eagles and the 49ers have been on a collision course for a number of months. I feel the 49ers squeak it out and, yeah, Cowboys kicker Brett Maher could also be an element.

Ron Kroichick, employees author: 49ers 23, Cowboys 20  —  This shapes up as a doubtlessly epic chapter in a storied playoff rivalry. It appears like 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy is due for a actuality test, even when it is only one misguided fourth-quarter cross. However it additionally appears like San Francisco’s sturdy protection is simply too good to let the 49ers lose, not less than this weekend. Robbie Gould’s area purpose on the buzzer wins it, inflicting Cowboys proprietor Jerry Jones’ head to blow up on the spot.

Scott Ostler, columnist: Cowboys 24, 49ers 21 — In a recreation performed earlier than a roaring crowd of 1,873 followers at Levi’s Stadium, the Cowboys will defeat the 49ers behind 4 landing passes by Ezekiel Elliott and 4 missed PAT kicks by Crazyleg Maher. The 49ers’ possession needs to be ashamed of how they’ve NOT dealt with the ingress/parking scenario, depriving their followers of the sport expertise and depriving their staff of the home-field benefit. Why will the 49ers lose? Due to two essential dropped passes and one heartbreaking fumble. Don’t blame me, I simply shuffle the Tarot playing cards.