We’re stepping out a limb, albeit barely, when we claim this rivalry is the primary one for the ‘Boys. It’s not a clear-cut case, we admit. There's plenty of well-deserved hatred for the Philadelphia Eagles these days. And it's fair to think that the team you tag as the Cowboys' truest, most hated archenemy likely depends on your age.
Going back to the pre-Super Bowl days of the late ’60s, then into the Roger Staubach-led 1970s glory years and on to the ‘90s dominance of Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith, the team that local fans hated the most changed with each generation.
Fifty years ago, most Cowboy fans would likely say the Green Bay Packers or the Pittsburgh Steelers were the team’s chief rivals, thanks to epic battles in the NFL Championship game and then the Super Bowl. In the ‘80s, NFC East foe Washington Redskins and head coach Joe Gibbs assumed the role of bitter enemy of Tom Landry and Danny White.
But for those who were teenagers in the ‘90s, when the Cowboys rose from the lowest depths of the NFL to the pinnacle of glamor and excellence, it’s hard to overstate just how exciting, terrifying and all-encompassing the monumental playoff matchups between the Cowboys and 49ers were. Thanks to their facing off in the NFC Championship in three consecutive seasons (1992–1994), the images of blue and silver clashing against scarlet and gold on a muddy field have been forever engraved inside our collective hippocampus.
30 Years Ago Today,
— Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) January 18, 2023
The 1992 NFC Championship
The #Cowboys and #49ers wage battle in the Candlestick swamp, renewing their storied postseason rivalry — the first of three consecutive title game wars between the teams.#Dallas wins its then-unprecedented sixth NFC title, 30-20. pic.twitter.com/dXWPunsqWH
The Cowboys triumphed twice and the Steve Young-led 49ers snagged one of those titanic wins, and each squad went on to win the Super Bowl. To be honest, the rivalry tapered off a bit over the next few years, thanks to both teams saying goodbye to their aging legends while being slow to rebuild winning teams. You likely don't need reminding, but the Cowboys haven't been in the NFC championship game, let alone the Super Bowl, since the late '90s.
That doesn't mean there weren’t iconic moments between the two teams in the years where Super Bowl appearances weren’t on the line, however. Years before he became a Cowboy, Hall of Fame receiver Terrell Owens made millions of enemies as an All-Pro for the 49ers. During a game in Texas Stadium in 2000, Owens was lighting up a pretty bad Cowboys squad on the way to a massive SF victory.
2 decades ago Terrell Owens became the owner of the Dallas Cowboys star pic.twitter.com/riAzo0zO4u
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 24, 2020
After a touchdown, Owens sprinted to the large star at midfield and stood triumphantly with his arms spread out, taking in the jeers and boos. He scored again soon, and again, went sprinting to the big star. But this time, Cowboys free safety George Teague leveled Owens, tackling him before he could have too much fun that second time. Teague’s time in Dallas wasn’t terribly remarkable other than that moment, but he’s been a local hero for more than two decades thanks to his “defense of the star.”
Oh, and before we get too far, there’s what happened long before Aikman or Young were in the league. Although we might want to, who can forget the heartbreak of “The Catch,” the last-second touchdown pass from Joe Montana to Dwight Clark to seal the 1981 NFC title?
In the past few years, the rivalry has unquestionably been reignited. Although the overall head-to-head record between the clubs is an even 19-19-1, the recent results have seen the San Fran squad take the upper hand. In each of the past two seasons, the Cowboys have been ushered into the offseason after playoff losses to the 49ers. In both instances, the Cowboys' offense sputtered, failing to resemble the league-leading offenses they had been in both years.Joe Montana to Dwight Clark in the 1981 NFC Championship.
— NFL Legacy (@NFLLegacy) January 10, 2022
The Catch. 40 years ago today. (Jan. 10, 1982) pic.twitter.com/VRDS3SGfYO
Most sad or laughable, depending on how you view Ezekiel Elliott's time as a Dallas Cowboy lightning rod, the loss in January 2023 was his last with a star on his helmet. That his Dallas days ended with an embarrassing trick play with Zeke as the center and sole blocker for QB Prescott — a play that saw him get practically plowed into the crowd — is either hilarious or just more tragic salt in a gaping wound.
Sunday’s matchup provides an intriguing battle between the dynamic, dominant San Francisco offense, featuring arguably the best player in the NFL right now, running back Christian McCaffrey, against the Cowboys' dynamic, dominant defense, led by another player with an argument to be considered the league’s best weapon, edge rusher Micah Parsons. Should Dallas win, they’ll not only rejoin the conversation of Super Bowl contenders, but they’ll add a new chapter in a rivalry that has entered a new era.
It's comical that in back to back playoff games against the 49ers, the Cowboys' last chance desperation play call is comically baffling. pic.twitter.com/1QxACxsXIk
— #Random49ers (@Random49ers) January 23, 2023
