Sequel Could Be A Bomb 49ers Desperately Need Win To Stay Within Shooting Distance

Well, the sequel is rarely as good as the original anyway. But when the 1995 NFL schedule was announced, one game was already circled in red: the defending Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers vs. the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium on Nov. 12.

Last year, the teams met at Candlestick Park with a helmetful of intangibles and, most likely, the home-field advantage hanging in the balance. Sure enough, the 49ers won, met the Cowboys in January on their own turf, snuffed Dallas’ chance for a three-peat and rolled to an easy win in the Big Supe.

This year’s game was supposed to be just as laden with significance. At least it was until 49ers quarterback Steve Young missed three games with an injured shoulder and San Francisco lost three straight. It was announced Friday that he would also miss Sunday’s game.

Who would imagine Cowboys coach Barry Switzer twice this week having to deflect questions about upcoming opponents Oakland and Kansas City, stoutly insisting his team wasn’t looking past the 49ers?

Looking past the 49ers? Whodathunkit?

What seems to have been missed in all this, though, is this remains a game of massive importance for both teams, although not in the same way it was a year ago.

The 49ers, who had hoped to have Young back, desperately need a victory just to stay within shooting distance of the Cowboys in the race for the NFC’s best record. A loss would leave the 49ers, in effect, five games behind Dallas - four games in the standings plus the head-tohead tiebreaker - with just six to play.

The Cowboys, on the other hand, have an opportunity to drive a stake through the heart of the team that has been its only real challenge for several seasons.

Nobody said it in so many words at the Cowboys’ Valley Ranch practice facility this week. But the mood apparently is to not only beat the 49ers, but beat them as soundly as possible and try to extinguish whatever spark might be left.

Strong safety Darren Woodson noted Dallas had won three straight against San Francisco before last year’s regular-season meeting.

“We could have destroyed some of their confidence if we had won that first game,” he said. “But we didn’t and then we lost the NFC Championship game. They put some doubt in our minds. Now we’re going to try to put some doubt in their minds.”

Wide receiver Michael Irvin, who will attempt to set an NFL record by catching at least 100 yards worth of passes for the eighth straight game, recoiled in mock horror when asked if it wouldn’t be better for the 49ers to be on a roll, too.

“We’ll take a win any way we can get it,” he said. “Everybody is always asking, ‘Do you wish they were 8-1, do you wish they were healthy?’ Please! No way. Steve Young? I hope he’s 100 percent next week. I hope he’s not doing so good this week.”

Quarterback Troy Aikman came closest to hinting the Cowboys’ mission will be to eliminate the 49ers for all intents and purposes this season by mentioning several times he won’t rule out one more meeting in the postseason.

“Do I feel sorry for them? They won the world championship last year. Did anybody feel sorry for us?” he said. “I have enough respect for their organization and their football team - and I think most everybody in this locker room does - that we all feel they’ll still be there at the end of the season.

“But for the last three years, it’s been us and San Francisco in the NFC Championship game. Certainly, one year, that will change. And there’s nobody to say this won’t be the year it happens.”

Aikman said, in a way, losing to San Francisco in 1994 has made the Cowboys stronger in 1995.

“Because of the success we had enjoyed in 1992 and 1993, I think we began to think we could just show up and win,” he said. “We forget the blue-collar work ethic that had helped us be successful in the first place.

“So it would be wrong for us as a football team to look at their record and see what’s happened in the last few weeks and not give them the credit they deserve. It’s not my intent to downplay the significance of this this game. In no way will I say it’s meaningless.”

Added Switzer: “Our guys have been looking forward to this for a long time. This is a big one. This is a big week.”

Just not in the same way it had been expected to be big before the season started.

Extra points

Emmitt Smith’s chances of becoming the third running back in NFL history, joining O.J. Simpson and Eric Dickerson, to run for 2,000 yards in a season will be tested Sunday.

The 49ers’ defense is allowing an average of just 59 yards on the ground this season. If Smith does well against the 49ers, it gets only easier. Of the Cowboys’ six games after that, three are against rushing defenses ranked near the bottom: Giants (27th), Redskins (28th) and Cardinals (30th).

For what it’s worth, the Cowboys haven’t won their 10th game of the season this early since 1984.