National Football League rivalry
San Francisco 49ers?Dallas Cowboys
|
First meeting
| November 20, 1960
49ers 26, Cowboys 14
|
---|
Latest meeting
| October 8, 2023
49ers 42, Cowboys 10
|
---|
Next meeting
| 2024
|
---|
|
Meetings total
| 40
|
---|
All-time series
| 49ers, 20?19?1
|
---|
Postseason results
| Cowboys, 5?4
- Most recent
January 22, 2023
49ers 19, Cowboys 12
|
---|
Largest victory
| Cowboys, 59?14
(
1980
)
49ers, 42?10
(
2023
)
|
---|
Current win streak
| 49ers, 3 (2022?present)
|
---|
|
Super Bowl
titles (10)
NFC Championships
(16)
- Dallas Cowboys
(8) ?
1970
,
1971
,
1975
,
1977
,
1978
,
1992
,
1993
,
1995
- San Francisco 49ers
(8) ?
1981
,
1984
,
1988
,
1989
,
1994
,
2012
,
2019
,
2023
|
800km
500miles
Cowboys
49ers
The
49ers?Cowboys rivalry
is a
National Football League
(NFL)
rivalry
between the
San Francisco 49ers
and the
Dallas Cowboys
. The 49ers lead the series 20?19?1. It is one of the great inter-division rivalry games in the NFL.
[1]
[2]
As the Cowboys play in
NFC East
and the 49ers in the
NFC West
, they do not play every year; instead, they play at least once every three years and at least once every six seasons at each team's home stadium due to the NFL's rotating division schedules when their respective divisions are paired up. Additionally, not only both teams could meet in the playoffs, but also if they finish in the same place in their respective divisions, they would play the ensuing season.
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
[7]
[8]
Sports Illustrated
ranked it as the eighth best rivalry
[9]
while the
NFL Top 10
ranked this rivalry to be the tenth best in the NFL.
[10]
In 2020, CBS ranked it as the No. 1 NFL rivalry of the 1990s.
[11]
[12]
The rivalry was also the subject of two 2015 episodes of
NFL Network
's
The Timeline
entitled "A Tale of Two Cities" with actors
Sam Elliott
(Cowboys) and
Jeremy Renner
(49ers) as narrators.
[13]
[14]
[15]
History
[
edit
]
The Cowboys and 49ers have faced each other in the postseason nine times, the most between any two NFL teams. The rivalry between the Cowboys and 49ers started gaining traction in the 1970s. The Cowboys defeated the 49ers in the 1970 and 1971 NFC Championship games, and again in the 1972 Divisional Playoff Game. The 1981 NFC Championship Game in San Francisco, which saw the 49ers'
Joe Montana
complete a game-winning pass to
Dwight Clark
in the final minute (now known as
The Catch
) is one of the most famous games in NFL history.
[16]
[17]
[18]
The rivalry became even more intense from 1992 to 1994 when the two teams faced each other in the NFC Championship Game during all three seasons. Dallas won the first two match-ups while San Francisco won the third, and in each of these pivotal match-ups, the game's victor went on to win the Super Bowl. With the Cowboys winning the Super Bowl following the 1995 season, from 1992 to 1995, either the Cowboys or the 49ers were Super Bowl champions, giving both teams five each ? which, at the time, was tied for the most by any NFL team and later NFC team (currently, both teams are tied for third behind the
Pittsburgh Steelers
and the
New England Patriots
with six each).
[19]
[20]
[21]
The rivalry went cold for many years due to the two teams’ inability to make the postseason in the same year after
1998
and until
2021
, when both teams made the playoffs and were matched against each other in the Wild Card Round in Dallas.
[22]
The 49ers won that game 23?17. The two teams would meet each other in the 2022 playoff divisional round, which saw the 49ers take a 19?12 win.
[23]
[24]
Both teams qualified for the 2023 postseason. However, the teams' fellow rival, the
Green Bay Packers
, defeated the Cowboys, becoming the first 7 seed to win a playoff game against the 2 seed. The loss not only prevented a third straight matchup with the 49ers, but also allowed
the Packers and 49ers
to play in a record 10th playoff game.
[25]
[26]
[27]
[28]
[29]
[30]
[31]
[32]
Players who have won championships with both teams include defensive end
Charles Haley
, linebacker
Ken Norton Jr.
and cornerback
Deion Sanders
.
[33]
[34]
As of the 2023 season, the 49ers are one of two NFC teams that the Cowboys have a losing record against, along with the
Green Bay Packers
.
[35]
Game results
[
edit
]
San Francisco 49ers vs. Dallas Cowboys season-by-season results
|
Season
|
Results
|
Location
|
Overall series
|
Notes
|
1960
|
49ers
26?14
|
Cotton Bowl
|
49ers
1?0
|
Cowboys' inaugural season. This loss was the Cowboys' ninth of ten straight losses to start the season.
|
1963
|
49ers
31?24
|
Kezar Stadium
|
49ers
2?0
|
|
1965
|
Cowboys
39?31
|
Cotton Bowl
|
49ers
2?1
|
|
1967
|
49ers
24?16
|
Kezar Stadium
|
49ers
3?1
|
|
1969
|
Tie
24?24
|
Cotton Bowl
|
49ers
3?1?1
|
Game played on
Thanksgiving Day
.
Most recent tied game
in Cowboys history as of 2024. First game in this series for former Cowboys defensive back and assistant coach
Dick Nolan
as 49ers head coach.
|
|
Season
|
Results
|
Location
|
Overall series
|
Notes
|
1970 playoffs
|
Cowboys
17?10
|
Kezar Stadium
|
49ers
3?2?1
|
NFC Championship Game. First postseason meeting in the series. Last meeting in Kezar Stadium. Cowboys lose
Super Bowl V
.
|
1971 playoffs
|
Cowboys
14?3
|
Texas Stadium
|
Tie
3?3?1
|
Second straight NFC Championship Game meeting. First start in series for
Roger Staubach
. First meeting in Texas Stadium. Cowboys win
Super Bowl VI
.
|
1972
|
49ers
31?10
|
Texas Stadium
|
49ers
4?3?1
|
Game played on
Thanksgiving Day
. Most recent Thanksgiving Day meeting between these two teams.
|
1972 playoffs
|
Cowboys
30?28
|
Candlestick Park
|
Tie
4?4?1
|
NFC Divisional playoffs. First meeting at Candlestick Park. With Roger Staubach (who had been injured for much of the season) coming off the bench to replace an ineffective
Craig Morton
; Cowboys overcome 21?3 deficit and a 28?13 deficit in the fourth quarter to win. Last 49ers post-season game until
1981
.
|
1974
|
Cowboys
20?14
|
Texas Stadium
|
Cowboys
5?4?1
|
Cowboys take first lead in the series.
|
1977
|
Cowboys
42?35
|
Candlestick Park
|
Cowboys
6?4?1
|
First ever Monday Night Football matchup between the two teams; Cowboys win
Super Bowl XII
.
|
1979
|
Cowboys
21?13
|
Candlestick Park
|
Cowboys
7?4?1
|
Last start in the series for
Roger Staubach
.
|
|
Season
|
Results
|
Location
|
Overall series
|
Notes
|
1980
|
Cowboys
59?14
|
Texas Stadium
|
Cowboys
8?4?1
|
Last Cowboys victory in this series until the 1992 NFC Championship Game.
|
1981
|
49ers
45?14
|
Candlestick Park
|
Cowboys
8?5?1
|
First start in the series for
Joe Montana
. This game also marked the first game as a 49er for defensive end
Fred Dean
after Dean was acquired in a trade with the
San Diego Chargers
.
|
1981 playoffs
|
49ers
28?27
|
Candlestick Park
|
Cowboys
8?6?1
|
NFC Championship Game. First postseason win for the 49ers over the Cowboys. Wide receiver
Dwight Clark
makes a leaping catch in the back of the end zone on a pass from
Joe Montana
with 51 seconds left, best referred to as "
The Catch
". 49ers win
Super Bowl XVI
.
|
1983
|
49ers
42?17
|
Candlestick Park
|
Cowboys
8?7?1
|
|
1985
|
49ers
31?16
|
Candlestick Park
|
Tie
8?8?1
|
The 49er victory allowed them to clinch the final NFC wild-card spot that season.
|
1989
|
49ers
31?14
|
Texas Stadium
|
49ers
9?8?1
|
49ers win
Super Bowl XXIV
. 49ers take first series lead since 1972.
|
|
Season
|
Results
|
Location
|
Overall series
|
Notes
|
1990
|
49ers
24?6
|
Texas Stadium
|
49ers
10?8?1
|
First start in series for
Troy Aikman
. Last start in series for
Joe Montana
.
|
1992 playoffs
|
Cowboys
30?20
|
Candlestick Park
|
49ers
10?9?1
|
NFC Championship Game. Cowboys win
Super Bowl XXVII
. After the game, Cowboys' head coach
Jimmy Johnson
was caught saying "How Bout Them Cowboys" in their postgame locker room.
|
1993
|
Cowboys
26?17
|
Texas Stadium
|
Tie
10?10?1
|
|
1993 playoffs
|
Cowboys
38?21
|
Texas Stadium
|
Cowboys
11?10?1
|
Second straight NFC Championship Game meeting. Cowboys win
Super Bowl XXVIII
. Troy Aikman was knocked out of the game with a concussion after the knee of rookie 49er defensive tackle
Dana Stubblefield
struck his head.
|
1994
|
49ers
21?14
|
Candlestick Park
|
Tie
11?11?1
|
|
1994 playoffs
|
49ers
38?28
|
Candlestick Park
|
49ers
12?11?1
|
Third straight NFC Championship Game meeting. 49ers win
Super Bowl XXIX
.
|
1995
|
49ers
38?20
|
Texas Stadium
|
49ers
13?11?1
|
Cowboys win
Super Bowl XXX
.
|
1996
|
Cowboys
20?17
(OT)
|
3Com Park
|
49ers
13?12?1
|
First meeting between the two teams to go into overtime.
|
1997
|
49ers
17?10
|
3Com Park
|
49ers
14?12?1
|
Last start in the series for
Steve Young
.
|
|
Season
|
Results
|
Location
|
Overall series
|
Notes
|
2000
|
49ers
41?24
|
Texas Stadium
|
49ers
15?12?1
|
Last start in the series for
Troy Aikman
. This game was remembered for 49ers wide receiver (and future Cowboy)
Terrell Owens
spiking the ball on the Cowboys star at midfield following a touchdown and subsequently being hit by Cowboys safety
George Teague
.
|
2001
|
Cowboys
27?21
|
Texas Stadium
|
49ers
15?13?1
|
|
2002
|
49ers
31?27
|
Texas Stadium
|
49ers
16?13?1
|
|
2005
|
Cowboys
34?31
|
Monster Park
|
49ers
16?14?1
|
|
2008
|
Cowboys
35?22
|
Texas Stadium
|
49ers
16?15?1
|
Last meeting in Texas Stadium.
|
|
Season
|
Results
|
Location
|
Overall series
|
Notes
|
2011
|
Cowboys
27?24
(OT)
|
Candlestick Park
|
Tie
16?16?1
|
Last meeting in Candlestick Park.
|
2014
|
49ers
28?17
|
AT&T Stadium
|
49ers
17?16?1
|
First meeting at AT&T Stadium.
|
2016
|
Cowboys
24?17
|
Levi's Stadium
|
Tie
17?17?1
|
First meeting at Levi's Stadium.
|
2017
|
Cowboys
40?10
|
Levi's Stadium
|
Cowboys
18?17?1
|
Cowboys take first lead in the series since winning the 1993 NFC Championship Game.
|
|
Season
|
Results
|
Location
|
Overall series
|
Notes
|
2020
|
Cowboys
41?33
|
AT&T Stadium
|
Cowboys
19?17?1
|
Limited fans in attendance due to ongoing
COVID-19 pandemic
. 49ers were eliminated from postseason contention with this loss, coupled with a win by the
Cardinals
.
|
2021 playoffs
|
49ers
23?17
|
AT&T Stadium
|
Cowboys
19?18?1
|
NFC Wild Card playoffs. First playoff meeting since 1994.
|
2022 playoffs
|
49ers
19?12
|
Levi's Stadium
|
Tie
19?19?1
|
NFC Divisional playoffs. The ninth postseason meeting, ties NFL record.
|
2023
|
49ers
42?10
|
Levi's Stadium
|
49ers
20?19?1
|
|
|
Season
|
Season series
|
at
San Francisco 49ers
|
at
Dallas Cowboys
|
Notes
|
Regular season
|
49ers 16?14?1
|
49ers 8?7
|
49ers 8?7?1
|
|
Postseason
|
Cowboys 5?4
|
Tie 3?3
|
Cowboys 2?1
|
NFC Wild Card Round: 2021
NFC Divisional Round: 1972, 2022
NFC Championship Game: 1970, 1971, 1981, 1992, 1993, 1994.
|
Regular and postseason
|
49ers 20?19?1
|
49ers 11?10
|
Tie 9?9?1
|
|
|
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Munoz, Michelle.
"Cowboys-49ers: A Rivalry for the Ages"
.
Bleacher Report
. Retrieved
2022-06-29
.
- ^
"Dynasties, guarantees and 'The Catch': Cowboys and 49ers have a rich playoff history"
.
Washington Post
.
ISSN
0190-8286
. Retrieved
2022-06-29
.
- ^
Pavlovi?, Svetozar (2023-10-09).
"49ers - Cowboys: Which recent games had the biggest points difference?"
.
Diario AS
. Retrieved
2024-02-03
.
- ^
"Creating the NFL Schedule"
.
Operations.NFL.com
. NFL Enterprises, LLC
. Retrieved
March 17,
2020
.
- ^
Davis, Scott.
"The NFL schedule is created with the help of a simple formula"
.
Business Insider
. Retrieved
2024-01-05
.
- ^
"NFL gives East teams a break traveling West"
.
ESPN.com
. 2009-03-23
. Retrieved
2024-01-05
.
- ^
Trapasso, Chris.
"How Is the NFL Schedule Created?"
.
Bleacher Report
. Retrieved
2024-01-05
.
- ^
"How Does Scheduling Work In The NFL? | Understanding NFL Scheduling Formula"
.
www.sportskeeda.com
. Retrieved
2024-01-05
.
- ^
"NFL's Best Rivalries"
.
Sports Illustrated
. Retrieved
2024-03-13
.
- ^
Top 10 Bitter Rivalries Throughout NFL History | NFL Films
on
YouTube
- ^
DeArdo, Bryan (July 1, 2020).
"NFL's top rivalries of the 1990s: Cowboys part of two legendary matchups"
.
CBSSports.com
. Retrieved
2022-08-30
.
- ^
"The Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers have shared some truly unforgettable moments"
.
USA TODAY
. Retrieved
2024-02-24
.
- ^
Ochoa, R. J. (2015-12-19).
"NFL Films "A Tale of Two Cities": A 2-Part Look Into The Rivalry Of The Cowboys & 49ers"
.
Inside The Star Archives
. Retrieved
2024-03-13
.
- ^
"A Tale of Two Cities: 49ers and Cowboys Part 1"
.
NFL.com
. Retrieved
2024-03-13
.
- ^
"A Tale of Two Cities: 49ers and Cowboys Part 2"
.
NFL.com
. Retrieved
2024-03-13
.
- ^
Dubow, Josh (2023-01-19).
"Cowboys-49ers rivalry set for record-tying 9th playoff game"
.
AP News
. Retrieved
2024-02-24
.
- ^
Fucillo, David (2023-01-22).
"History of playoff rivalry between Cowboys and 49ers"
.
DraftKings Network
. Retrieved
2024-02-24
.
- ^
Adam Bradshaw and Andrew Schnitker, Adam Bradshaw and Andrew Schnitker (2022-01-11).
"Cowboys-49ers: A rivalry rekindled for playoffs"
.
KXAN Austin
. Retrieved
2024-02-24
.
- ^
Kennedy, Alex (2024-02-12).
"Which NFL team has the most Super Bowl wins?"
.
ESPN.com
. Retrieved
2024-02-24
.
- ^
"Super Bowl winners by team: Who has the most championships in NFL history? | Sporting News"
.
www.sportingnews.com
. 2023-02-13
. Retrieved
2024-02-24
.
- ^
"Rivalry recap: Cowboys vs. 49ers"
.
NFL.com
. Retrieved
2024-02-24
.
- ^
"Rivalry renewed: Cowboys-49ers matchup retaking its place atop the NFL"
.
ESPN.com
. 2023-10-06
. Retrieved
2024-02-24
.
- ^
"49ers vs. Cowboys: A Historic Rivalry Renewed"
.
www.49ers.com
. Retrieved
2022-06-29
.
- ^
"49ers-Cowboys rivalry roars back to life, 27 years after Eric Davis ignited last chapter"
.
The Mercury News
. 2022-01-15
. Retrieved
2022-06-29
.
- ^
Hamm, Timm (January 25, 2024).
"
'Ain't Gonna Work!' Deion Supports Coach McCarthy, Reveals Cowboys Weakness"
.
Sports Illustrated
. Retrieved
January 25,
2024
.
- ^
Beviglia, Jim (January 24, 2024).
"Why Can't Dallas Win in the NFL Playoffs?"
.
CapperTek
. Retrieved
January 25,
2024
.
- ^
"Packers 48-32 Cowboys (Jan 14, 2024) Game Recap"
.
ESPN.com
. January 14, 2024
. Retrieved
January 14,
2024
.
- ^
"By the numbers: Green Bay Packers dominate Dallas Cowboys"
.
ESPN.com
. 2024-01-15
. Retrieved
2024-02-14
.
- ^
Treacy, Dan (2024-01-14).
"No. 7 seeds to win an NFL playoff game: How Packers made history with wild-card win over Cowboys | Sporting News"
.
www.sportingnews.com
. Retrieved
2024-03-11
.
- ^
"The Packers visit the 49ers for record-setting 10th playoff matchup"
.
USA TODAY
. Retrieved
2024-03-11
.
- ^
"Packers, Niners meeting for 10th time in playoffs | Arkansas Democrat Gazette"
.
www.arkansasonline.com
. 2024-01-18
. Retrieved
2024-03-11
.
- ^
"Packers-49ers playoff rivalry has produced many memorable moments"
.
spectrumnews1.com
. Retrieved
2024-03-11
.
- ^
Lombardi, David (September 30, 2020).
"
'Center stage': Reliving the revolutionary Cowboys-49ers rivalry of the 1990s"
.
The Athletic
. Retrieved
2024-03-11
.
- ^
"Rivalry recap: Cowboys vs. 49ers"
.
NFL.com
. Retrieved
2024-03-11
.
- ^
"Dallas Cowboys Records by Opponent"
.
FootballDB.com
.
Archived
from the original on December 28, 2020
. Retrieved
December 28,
2020
.
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