San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan discussed the differences and similarities between his offense and that of the Dallas Cowboys in an interview with Greg Papa on “49ers Game Plan.”
The rivalry between the 49ers and Cowboys has a long history, marked by intense emotions that often lingered even after the final whistle. Players like 49ers linebacker Gary Plummer expressed their disdain for the Cowboys to the extent of creating NSFW t-shirts to showcase their feelings, especially after the Cowboys frequently thwarted the 49ers’ Super Bowl ambitions.
Jason Garrett, a former Cowboys head coach and backup quarterback during the franchise’s pivotal years in the 1990s, reflected on the rivalry’s intensity. “It was a different atmosphere back then, an incredible rivalry,” Garrett told NBC Sports Bay Area. “Every game felt significant. Whether it was a regular season match or a playoff encounter, it often had implications for home-field advantage and led to epic confrontations.”
Garrett highlighted not just the quality of play but also the caliber of players involved, many of whom are now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Icons like Troy Aikman, Joe Montana, Steve Young, and Jerry Rice rose to prominence during this period.
Additionally, the animosity between the two franchises was palpable. Unlike today’s postgame jersey exchanges and camaraderie, these teams had a genuine dislike for one another. “There wasn’t that friendliness you see now,” Garrett noted. “These teams truly did not like each other. The stakes were incredibly high, and those games often influenced the NFL season’s outcome.”
In back-to-back years, 1992 and 1993, the Cowboys defeated the 49ers in the playoffs, blocking their path to the Super Bowl, with Dallas subsequently claiming the championship title. However, during the 1994 season, Steve Young and the 49ers overcame their rivals in the NFC Championship Game, leading to their fifth Super Bowl victory.
“It was an extraordinary era, and when the stakes were elevated, there was certainly mutual respect,” Garrett remarked. “But there was definitely no love lost.”
