Don't Count Us Out Quite Yet

The Cowboys are supposed to be an NFC powerhouse and with the return of Tony Romo, some could write off the 49ers as an easy win. Not so fast there, "experts." San Francisco is experiencing a resurgence under Mike Singletary and with Shaun Hill at the helm. The way they disposed of the Rams last week was what I believe the first of many victories to close out this less than glorious season. Why not start this roll with our old rivals? The Cowboys looked strong against the Redskins last week, relying on Marion Barber to do the heavy lifting. The Redskin's defense is one of the best in NFL, so how can San Francisco be expected to stop the Barbarian? There are a couple points I would like to bring up, first and foremost the 49ers running defense. Anyone can ask Adrian Peterson what it feels like to play against Patrick Willis. He was so happy that Willis was the NFC, just so he wouldn't be against him in the Pro Bowl. Not only can Willis single-handedly stop the run if need be, he has Takeo Spikes and Michael Lewis in the middle of the field to help him out. Lewis, while not the best cover safety, is known for stopping the run and makes sure to leave a mark on his prey. Don't expect a repeat of Barber's performance this week. As for Romo, Owens, Williams, and Witten... they don't have the most favorable matchups across from them. Nate Clements always steps up against big name receivers and Owens isn't even having a good season. He should be easy to handle for Clements, as should Williams for Walt Harris. Harris is a veteran who knows how to play his man. The trouble could come from the tight end Witten... if not for the fact that Manny Lawson could end up lining up across from him. Lawson is substantially quicker than Witten (or most tight ends) and won't get beat very often. The entire Cowboy's offense could have problems with Singletary's D. On the other side of the ball, the Cowboy's defense hasn't been outstanding against the pass or run and neither has the 49ers offense. But the 49ers offensive scheme has seen change over the past couple weeks as the ball is going to Frank Gore more and more. If this philosophy stays in action, Frank Gore could tear up the Cowboy's less than stellar lineman and linebackers. Now "experts," why are you counting the San Francisco 49ers out already?
Prediction: If the 49ers lose, I guess I'll have taken a dive for them this week
SF 17, DAL 14