Dak Prescott has another chance to beat the San Francisco 49ers, but the Dallas Cowboys quarterback says revenge is not the reason he is focused on Sunday’s matchup.
Dallas will host San Francisco on Nov. 15, with the Cowboys looking to build on their 27-23 win over the Indianapolis Colts. At 4-5, they are aiming to earn consecutive victories for the first time this NFL season. The 49ers enter the game with a 7-1 record.
Prescott has faced San Francisco in two painful playoff defeats. The 49ers eliminated Dallas in the 2021 and 2022 postseasons, giving the quarterback a difficult history against the team. Still, he does not want those past results to become the focus for the Cowboys’ locker room.
“I want to beat them absolutely, and I’m not naive to what’s happened or my history against them,” Prescott told reporters. “But to put that on the rest of these guys or put that on the locker room, I think that’s stupid.”
## Prescott wants the Cowboys to build momentum
For Prescott, Sunday’s game is an opportunity to help Dallas gain traction after its win in Indianapolis. He said the team’s priority is to secure another victory and carry that momentum forward—not to make the matchup about his individual history with San Francisco.
“This is about us going in and getting a win and us trying to win this game and get some momentum going,” he said.
The Cowboys have not yet put together back-to-back wins this season. Prescott emphasized that reaching that milestone would give the team something to build on.
“Get back-to-back wins for the first time this season and build off of that,” he added.
Prescott’s performance through nine games has included 2,381 passing yards, 16 touchdowns and five interceptions. He has completed 218 of 336 passes. His recent play has also been productive: over his last three starts, he has thrown six touchdown passes without an interception.
Those numbers offer encouragement as Dallas prepares to face one of the league’s strongest teams. But the Cowboys also have work to do on defense. They have allowed an average of 26.2 points per game this season, while San Francisco arrives with a 7-1 record.
Prescott acknowledged the quality of the opponent but framed the challenge as an opportunity for the entire team. He said the goal is to win, regardless of the opponent’s identity or his own past results against them.
“What a great opportunity to do it against a 7-1 team,” he said. “It just so happens that it’d be the Niners.”
He added that everyone in the building wants to win for their own reasons, but the team must concentrate on the task in front of it.
“So yeah, obviously I want to get a win and everybody and anybody in this building does for sure a bunch of different reasons,” Prescott said. “But at the end of the day, it’s a 7-1 team coming in here and we’ve got an opportunity to beat them.”
## A chance to change the Cowboys’ trajectory
A victory over San Francisco would give Dallas its first pair of consecutive wins this season and provide a boost after its recent win over Indianapolis. It would also come against a team that has twice ended the Cowboys’ postseason run with Prescott at quarterback.
The quarterback’s comments make clear that he recognizes the significance of the matchup, while resisting the idea that his personal playoff history should define it. He wants the Cowboys to approach Sunday as a team opportunity: face a 7-1 opponent, earn a win and try to carry momentum into the games ahead.
With Dallas seeking consistency and the 49ers arriving with a strong record, the matchup presents a demanding test. Prescott’s stated focus is straightforward: help the Cowboys win and take a step toward building on their latest result.
