Quinn praises 49ers' offense, touts ‘fun matchups' in ‘SNF' battle
Quinn praises 49ers' offense, touts ‘fun matchups' in ‘SNF' battle originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Two of the best rosters in football are on a collision course with the 49ers and Cowboys set to square off for NFC supremacy on "Sunday Night Football."
After a strong showing against the New England Patriots last week, Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn talked about how important it was for his unit to find their groove ahead of matching up with an explosive 49ers offense.
"They've [New England] got a big line, two strong backs, coming in we thought that would be one of the ways they would attack for sure," Quinn said. "Certainly, that's been the formula for San Francisco. You can see the effectiveness of their start, not just in the run game, but scoring and finishing. Certainly [Christian] McCaffrey has been at the top of that list for sure. We'll have our work cut out for us for sure, so I'm still getting into the planning, but it's going to be a lot of fun."
There will be no shortage of star power when these two units square off, with the Cowboys' defense and 49ers' offense each having four All-Pro players.
Quinn excitedly broke down how this blockbuster matchup offers a rare combination of dynamic playmakers for both teams.
"It's fun," Quinn said. "They play a system that has guys playing multiple positions, and we do too. They've got wide receivers that can play running back, running backs that can play wide receiver, we've got some linebackers that can rush, some that go down and back, some safeties that can go down. There's going to be all sorts of fun matchups in this game, and there's going to be a lot of late nights and a lot of studying to go because they really push you to prepare, and we'll do every bit of that. We've got a group that moves guys around and does that in the same way, so I think there will be some fun matchups that you'll see in the game."
Dallas currently leads the league with 10 turnovers forced, while the 49ers are tied for the league lead with just one turnover committed.
Quinn discussed the importance of creating a takeaway against a team that rarely makes mistakes and how the turnover battle could be the deciding factor in this game.
"They are really mindful of it," Quinn said. "Taking care of the ball as well, I think they only have one [turnover] for the entire season so far. That just shows you how they coach it, how they take care of it. Both offenses are very good at that, in terms of taking care of it and being aggressive. Ours and theirs. So, I think those will be the turning points in the game if we can knock one out or get one, but they've done a good job, and that shows over the first four games for sure."
Quinn also noted how physical the 49ers' wide receivers are in the run game, highlighting Brandon Aiyuk's spectacular downfield block to spring a long touchdown run in San Francisco's Week 1 win in Pittsburgh.
"I think, just knowing Kyle's [Shanahan] nature, they want to attack the entire field. So their wideouts are certainly down the field. If I remember correctly… they play a long run against Pittsburgh, and I can remember a receiver hauling ass, getting downfield and getting a block, and that shows you the competitive nature of the group. These are going to be two, tough-ass, hard-nose units going against one and other, and it's going to be a lot of fun."
The Cowboys' defense ranks first in points allowed and second in yards allowed, while the 49ers' offense ranks third in points scored and second in total yards.
You can expect fireworks from both sides, but only one of these top-five units will leave Levi's Stadium victorious.
Download and follow the 49ers Talk Podcast
