NFL
The story behind the rivalry between the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers
The historic rivalry between the NFL’s Niners and Cowboys has been marked by one of the most dreadful duels in 50 years.
The rivalry that has developed over time between NFC East’s Dallas Cowboys and NFC West’s San Francisco 49ers has become so intense that it was once the subject of two episodes of NFL Network’s “The Timeline” in 2015. As they are in two different divisions, the two teams do not play each other every year. Instead, they play at least once every three years and at least once every six seasons. However, they have the chance to meet in the postseason any year, and if they both finish in the same place in their divisions, they will play each other the following season.
As the Niners finished first in the NFC West last season and the Cowboys finished first in the NFC East, they will play each other this coming regular season when the 49ers host the Cowboys at Levi’s Stadium on October 27.
History of the Cowboys vs 49ers rivalry
Despite the fact that these teams don’t meet every year in the regular season, they’ve faced off plenty of times in the postseason - nine, to be exact. That’s the second-most times any two NFL teams have met in the playoffs (behind the 49ers and Green Bay Packers, who have met ten times). The rivalry began in the 1970s, when the Cowboys beat the Niners three times in the postseason.
The vibrant 70s
During the 1970s, there were several direct encounters between the Cowboys and the 49ers, all of which were dominated by the Cowboys. The rivalry started in 1970 when the Cowboys consecutively beat the 49ers in the postseason for three years. During the first two years, the Cowboys won the conference title game, while in the third year, they eliminated the 49ers from the divisional round. Moreover, three games were held between the two teams during the regular season from 1974 to 1979, during which the Cowboys maintained their dominance over the 49ers.
Thus, the rivalry between the two franchises began to take shape and become a tradition. It became one of the most entertaining and media-friendly rivalries that lasted at the highest level for the next 20 years.
Present time high voltage match
Both teams are currently experiencing a good run in sports, making them strong contenders in crucial matches and intensifying their rivalry.
The rivalry between the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys is more intense than ever, and their matches have always been closely contested. This year will mark their 32nd regular season meeting, with the 49ers winning 16 times, the Cowboys 14 times, and one tie. Dallas has won five times in the playoffs compared to San Francisco’s four.