49ers Clock Cowboys

The Cowboys and 49ers met in the NFL playoffs for the first time in over 20 years Sunday, and San Francisco came away victorious 23-17 thanks to costly penalties and coaching miscues by Dallas, a strong defensive showing and a solid game by running bcak Elijah Mitchell.

Playing in the second of Sunday’s three wild-card games, the teams added to their historic rivalry with a contest that came down to the final play. Dallas QB Dak Prescott ran 17 yards to the San Francisco 24 but was unable to spike the ball in time for one final snap.

Dallas struggled in several areas Sunday: a franchise playoff record-tying 14 penalties for 89; a 5-of-13 conversion rate on third down; and just 4.4 yards per play. The Cowboys’ normally potent offense managed just 307 total yards. Its second touchdown was set up by an interception midway through the fourth quarter.

San Francisco, meahwhile, played a solid all-around game. It recorded five sacks of Prescott and ran the ball at will, with 169 yards on 38 attempts. Mitchell’s 27-carry, 96-yard performance led the way.

They went 6 for 13 on third down and got four first downs from Dallas penalties. Wide receiver Deebo Samuel once again did a bit of everything; he ran 10 times for 72 yards and made three catches for 38 yards.

The Niners did suffer two major blows to their defense. They lost Nick Bosa to a concussion and Fred Warner to an ankle injury. The extent of their injuries is unclear. It is not known whether they will return in time for next week’s divisional round game against the top-seeded Packers in Green Bay.

Sporting News tracked live scoring updates and highlights from 49ers vs. Cowboys on Sunday. Follow below for complete results from the 2022 NFL wild-card playoff game.