BTB Thursday Thread: How nervous are you heading into the 49ers game?

The Dallas Cowboys head to San Fransisco on Sunday to play the 49ers on Sunday Night Football. The 49ers are widely viewed as the best team in the NFL currently, holding an impressive 4-0 record. They might be the only team in the league that has as much talent on their roster top to bottom as the Cowboys do. WR’s Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk offer a tough matchup on the outside of the Dallas secondary. TE George Kittle is one of the premier players in the league at his position, offering a safety blanket for 49ers QB Brock Purdy.

Purdy is also having quite the start to the 2023 season, posting 1,019 passing yards, five touchdowns, and a 72.3 completion % in his first four games. Not to mention that the 49ers have arguably the best running back in the NFL in Christian McCaffrey, who is off to one of the hottest starts in his career this season. The star running back has seven touchdowns in four games this season. What makes the 49ers so dangerous is that along with this explosive offense, they have a stifling defense headlined by DE Nick Bosa and LB Fred Warner

The 49ers are currently the betting favorite as of Wednesday, listed as a 3.5 favorite. San Francisco is -175 on the moneyline with the over/under point total set at 45.5 points. This is the first game of the season where the Cowboys are the underdog.

The obvious headline heading into this game is the history between both organizations, specifically in recent memory. The 49ers are responsible for eliminating the Cowboys in the playoffs each of the previous two seasons. This game feels personal to the Cowboys players, who have come out and acknowledged how important this game feels to them.

LB Leighton Vander Esch spoke on the team’s mentality heading into the matchup,

“That’s one I’ve definitely had my eye on, and everybody has, but we can’t let our emotions get to us. We have to go out there and play the game of football like we know how to, and bring that style we usually play with. It’s gotta be another great week of preparation.”

History aside, this will be a big measuring stick game for the Cowboys. This will tell the fans if this team is a legitimate title contender and can compete for a Super Bowl this year. If they can finally get over the hump, and beat the Niners, it will show that this team is different than in years past. If they can’t make it competitive, and lose in ugly fashion, they will be unable to shake the narrative that they aren’t the best team in the NFC.

How nervous do you feel about the 49ers game? Is this the most anticipated regular season game in Mike McCarthy’s tenure as Cowboys head coach? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.