The 49ers–Cowboys rivalry is a

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL)

rivalry A rivalry is the state of two people or groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each participant ...

between the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...

and the

Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...

. The Cowboys and 49ers split the series 19–19–1. It is one of the great inter-division rivalry games in the NFL. The two teams do not play every year; instead, they play once every three years due to the NFL's rotating division schedules, or if the two teams finish in the same place in their respective divisions, they would play the ensuing season. ''

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twi ...

'' ranked it as the eighth best rivalry while the

NFL Top 10 The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ma ...

ranked this rivalry to be the tenth best in the NFL. In 2020, CBS ranked it as the No. 1 NFL rivalry of the 1990s. The rivalry was also the subject of two 2015 episodes of

NFL Network NFL Network (occasionally abbreviated on-air as NFLN) is an American sports-oriented pay television network owned by the National Football League (NFL) and is part of NFL Media, which also includes NFL.com, NFL Films, NFL Mobile, NFL Now and NF ...

's ''The Timeline'' entitled "A Tale of Two Cities" with actors

Sam Elliott Samuel Pack Elliott (born August 9, 1944) is an American actor. He is the recipient of several accolades, including a National Board of Review Award, and has been nominated for an Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, two Primetime Emmy Aw ...

(Cowboys) and Jeremy Renner (49ers) as narrators.

History

The rivalry between the Cowboys and 49ers has been going on since the 1970s, including nine postseason games. The Cowboys defeated the 49ers in the 1970 and 1971 NFC Championship games, and again in the 1972 Divisional Playoff Game. The 1981 NFC Championship Game in San Francisco, which saw the 49ers'

Joe Montana Joseph Clifford Montana Jr. (born June 11, 1956) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. Nicknamed "Joe Cool" and "the Comeback Kid", ...

complete a game-winning pass to

Dwight Clark Dwight Edward Clark (January 8, 1957 – June 4, 2018) was an American professional football player who was a wide receiver for nine seasons with the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL) from 1979 He was a member of San ...

in the final minute (now known as

The Catch The Catch may refer to: Film and television * ''The Catch'' (U.S. TV series), 2016-2017 American mystery television series * ''The Catch'' (UK TV series), 2023 British family drama television series * ''The Catch'' (1961 film), 1961 film by Nagisa ...

) is one of the most famous games in NFL history. The rivalry became even more intense from 1992 to 1994 when the two teams faced each other in the NFC Championship Game during all three seasons. Dallas won the first two match-ups while San Francisco won the third, and in each of these pivotal match-ups, the game's victor went on to win the Super Bowl. With the Cowboys winning the Super Bowl following the 1995 season, from 1992 to 1995, either the Cowboys or the 49ers were Super Bowl champions, giving both teams five each – which, at the time, was tied for the most by any NFL team (currently, both teams are tied for third behind the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots with six each). The rivalry went cold for many years due to the two teams’ inability to make the postseason in the same year after and until , when both teams made the playoffs and were matched against each other in the Wild Card Round in Dallas. The 49ers won that game 23–17. The two teams would meet each other in the 2022 playoff divisional round, which saw the 49ers take a 19-12 win, making the all-time series tied 19-19-1. Players who have won championships with both teams include defensive end Charles Haley, linebacker

Ken Norton Jr. Kenneth Howard Norton Jr. (born September 29, 1966) is an American football coach and former linebacker who most recently served as the defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL) from 2018 to 2021. H ...

and cornerback Deion Sanders. As of the end of the 2022 season, the 49ers are one of two NFC teams that the Cowboys do not have a winning record against, along with the Green Bay Packers.

Game results

, - , , style=", 49ers
26–14 , Cotton Bowl , 49ers
1–0 , Cowboys' inaugural season. This loss was the Cowboys' ninth of ten straight losses to start the season. , - , , style=", 49ers
31–24 ,

Kezar Stadium Kezar Stadium is an outdoor athletics stadium in San Francisco, California, located adjacent to Kezar Pavilion in the southeastern corner of Golden Gate Park. It is the former home of the San Francisco 49ers and the Oakland Raiders (first AFL s ...

, 49ers
2–0 , , - , , style=", Cowboys
39–31 , Cotton Bowl , 49ers
2–1 , , - , , style=", 49ers
24–16 , Kezar Stadium , 49ers
3–1 , , - , , Tie
24–24 , Cotton Bowl , 49ers
3–1–1 , Game played on

Thanksgiving Day Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden and ...

. Only meeting to end in a tie to date. First game in this series for former Cowboys defensive back and assistant coach Dick Nolan as 49ers head coach. , - , - , - ! 1970 playoffs ! style=", Cowboys
17–10 ! Kezar Stadium ! 49ers
3–2–1 ! NFC Championship Game. First postseason meeting in the series. Last meeting in Kezar Stadium. Cowboys lose

Super Bowl V Super Bowl V was an American football game played between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Baltimore Colts and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys to determine the National Football League (NFL) champion ...

. , - style="background:#f0f0f0" ! 1971 playoffs ! style=", Cowboys
14–3 !

Texas Stadium Texas Stadium was an American football stadium located in Irving, Texas, a suburb west of Dallas. Opened on October 24, 1971, it was known for its distinctive hole in the roof, the result of abandoned plans to construct a retractable roof (Cowboy ...

! Tie
3–3–1 ! Second straight NFC Championship Game meeting. First start in series for

Roger Staubach Roger Thomas Staubach (, -; , -; born February 5, 1942), nicknamed "Roger the Dodger", "Captain America", and "Captain Comeback", is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for ...

. First meeting in Texas Stadium. Cowboys win Super Bowl VI. , - , , style=", 49ers
31–10 , Texas Stadium , 49ers
4–3–1 , , - ! 1972 playoffs ! style=", Cowboys
30–28 !

Candlestick Park Candlestick Park was an outdoor stadium on the West Coast of the United States, located in San Francisco's Bayview Heights area. The stadium was originally the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 ...

! Tie
4–4–1 ! NFC Divisional playoffs. First meeting at Candlestick Park. With Roger Staubach (who had been injured for much of the season) coming off the bench to replace an ineffective

Craig Morton Larry Craig Morton (born February 5, 1943) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons, primarily with the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos. He played college football at California, ...

; Cowboys overcome 21–3 deficit and a 28–13 deficit in the fourth quarter to win. Last 49ers post-season game until

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...

. , - , , style=", Cowboys
20–14 , Texas Stadium , Cowboys
5–4–1 , Cowboys take first lead in the series. , - , , style=", Cowboys
42–35 , Candlestick Park , Cowboys
6–4–1 , First ever Monday Night Football matchup between the two teams; Cowboys win Super Bowl XII. , - , , style=", Cowboys
21–13 , Candlestick Park , Cowboys
7–4–1 , Last start in the series for

. , - , - , - , , style=", Cowboys
59–14 , Texas Stadium , Cowboys
8–4–1 , Last Cowboys victory in this series until the 1992 NFC Championship Game. , - , , style=", 49ers
45–14 , Candlestick Park , Cowboys
8–5–1 , First start in the series for

. This game also marked the first game as a 49er for defensive end

Fred Dean Frederick Rudolph Dean (February 24, 1952 – October 14, 2020) was an American professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). A twice first-team All-Pro and a four-time Pro Bowler, he won two Super ...

after Dean was acquired in a trade with the San Diego Chargers. , - ! 1981 playoffs ! style=", 49ers
28–27 ! Candlestick Park ! Cowboys
8–6–1 ! NFC Championship Game. First postseason win for the 49ers over the Cowboys. Wide receiver

makes a leaping catch in the back of the end zone on a pass from

with 51 seconds left, best referred to as "

". 49ers win Super Bowl XVI. , - , , style=", 49ers
42–17 , Candlestick Park , Cowboys
8–7–1 , , - , , style=", 49ers
31–16 , Candlestick Park , Tie
8–8–1 , The 49er victory allowed them to clinch the final NFC wild-card spot that season. , - , , style=", 49ers
31–14 , Texas Stadium , 49ers
9–8–1 , 49ers win Super Bowl XXIV. 49ers take first series lead since 1972. , - , - , - , , style=", 49ers
24–6 , Texas Stadium , 49ers
10–8–1 , First start in series for

Troy Aikman Troy Kenneth Aikman (born November 21, 1966) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. After transferring from Oklahoma, he played college football at UCLA, ...

. Last start in series for

. , - ! 1992 playoffs ! style=", Cowboys
30–20 ! Candlestick Park ! 49ers
10–9–1 ! NFC Championship Game. Cowboys win Super Bowl XXVII. After the game, Cowboys' head coach Jimmy Johnson was caught saying "How Bout Them Cowboys" in their postgame locker room. , - , , style=", Cowboys
26–17 , Texas Stadium , Tie
10–10–1 , , - ! 1993 playoffs ! style=", Cowboys
38–21 ! Texas Stadium ! Cowboys
11–10–1 ! Second straight NFC Championship Game meeting. Cowboys win Super Bowl XXVIII. Troy Aikman was knocked out of the game with a concussion after the knee of rookie 49er defensive tackle

Dana Stubblefield Dana William Stubblefield (born November 14, 1970) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). After graduating from Taylor High School in North Bend, Ohio, Stubblefie ...

struck his head. , - , , style=", 49ers
21–14 , Candlestick Park , Tie
11–11–1 , , - ! 1994 playoffs ! style=", 49ers
38–28 ! Candlestick Park ! 49ers
12–11–1 ! Third straight NFC Championship Game meeting. 49ers win Super Bowl XXIX. , - , , style=", 49ers
38–20 , Texas Stadium , 49ers
13–11–1 , Cowboys win Super Bowl XXX. , - , , style=", Cowboys
20–17(OT) , 3Com Park , 49ers
13–12–1 , First meeting between the two teams to go into overtime. , - , , style=", 49ers
17–10 , 3Com Park , 49ers
14–12–1 , Last start in the series for

Steve Young Jon Steven Young (born October 11, 1961) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. He also played for the Tampa Bay Buccane ...

. , - , - , , style=", 49ers
41–24 , Texas Stadium , 49ers
15–12–1 , Last start in the series for

. This game was remembered for 49ers wide receiver (and future Cowboy)

Terrell Owens Terrell Eldorado Owens (; born December 7, 1973), nicknamed T.O., is an American football wide receiver for the Knights of Degen of Fan Controlled Football (FCF). He previously played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. Regar ...

spiking the ball on the Cowboys star at midfield following a touchdown and subsequently being hit by Cowboys safety

George Teague George Theo Teague (born February 18, 1971) is a former American football safety in the National Football League (NFL) who played for the Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins. He played college football at the University of Ala ...

. , - , , style=", Cowboys
27–21 , Texas Stadium , 49ers
15–13–1 , , - , , style=", 49ers
31–27 , Texas Stadium , 49ers
16–13–1 , , - , , style=", Cowboys
34–31 , Monster Park , 49ers
16–14–1 , , - , , style=", Cowboys
35–22 , Texas Stadium , 49ers
16–15–1 , Last meeting in Texas Stadium. , - , - , , style=", Cowboys
27–24 (OT) , Candlestick Park , Tie
16–16–1 , Last meeting in Candlestick Park. , - , , style=", 49ers
28–17 , AT&T Stadium , 49ers
17–16–1 , First meeting at AT&T Stadium. , - , , style=", Cowboys
24–17 ,

Levi's Stadium Levi's Stadium is an American football stadium located in Santa Clara, California, just outside San Jose in the San Francisco Bay Area. It has served as the home venue for the National Football League (NFL)'s San Francisco 49ers since 2014. T ...

, Tie
17–17–1 , First meeting at Levi's Stadium. , - , , style=", Cowboys
40–10 , Levi's Stadium , Cowboys
18–17–1 , Cowboys take first lead in the series since winning the 1993 NFC Championship Game. , - , - , , style=", Cowboys
41–33 , AT&T Stadium , Cowboys
19–17–1 , Limited fans in attendance due to ongoing

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

. 49ers were eliminated from postseason contention with this loss, coupled with a win by the

Cardinals Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...

. , - ! 2021 playoffs ! style=", 49ers
23–17 ! AT&T Stadium ! Cowboys
19–18–1 ! NFC Wild Card playoffs. First playoff meeting since 1994. , - ! 2022 playoffs ! style=", 49ers
19–12 ! Levi's Stadium ! Tie
19–19–1 ! NFC Divisional playoffs. Ninth postseason meeting, ties NFL record. , - , , , Levi's Stadium , , , - , - , Regular season , style=", , Tie 7–7 , 49ers 8–7–1 , , - , Postseason , style=", , Tie 3–3 , Cowboys 2–1 , NFC Wild Card Round: 2021
NFC Divisional Round: 1972, 2022
NFC Championship Game: 1970, 1971, 1981, 1992, 1993, 1994. , - , Regular and postseason , Tie 19–19–1 , Tie 10–10 , Tie 9–9–1 , , -

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:49ers-Cowboys rivalry San Francisco 49ers Dallas Cowboys National Football League rivalries Dallas Cowboys rivalries San Francisco 49ers rivalries

History

Game results

See also

References