The San Francisco 49ers defense will be looking to make life challenging for the Dallas Cowboys‘ offense. San Francisco’s defense will be looking to carry over their defensive performance in Week 9 against the Las Vegas Raiders into this game.
Against the Raiders, the Niners’ defense recorded five takeaways, including three interceptions and two forced fumbles. Fred Warner was one of the players who recorded a takeaway against the Silver and Black.
Ahead of the game against the 49ers, Cowboys QB Dak Prescott shared his thoughts on facing Warner. Their offensive unit will have to account for where the linebacker is on the field and will need to hold on tight to the football, as Warner will be there to try to punch it out.
“He’s probably the best linebacker in the NFL right now,” Prescott told reporters on Nov. 12. “The way he plays the game mentally, reading the splits, reading the back, whether he’s near or far, and making his different calls is impressive.
“Their defense is simple because he can get them into the right positions. They play fast, and they play hard. There’s a little bit of a chess match there, but it’s no different from play callers calling the plays. At the end of the day, it’s about execution.”
Warner has played 502 total snaps for the 49ers defense so far this season, leading to an 86.2 overall PFF defensive grade. Moreover, the veteran linebacker has recorded 54 solo tackles, generated five total pressures, one sack, 29 stops, and allowed an 84.6 passer rating when targeted in coverage.
49ers’ Fred Warner Draws More Praise From Cowboys
Cowboys’ DeMarvion Overshown won’t be on the field at the same time as Warner, but the Dallas linebacker has a lot of respect for the 49ers star.
“I have the utmost respect for him,” Overshown told reporters on Nov. 12. “Since he came into this league, he’s been a dog. He’s been somebody you have to scout during the week. You have to know where 54 is and be aware when you’re carrying the ball. He’s the prototype linebacker. When you want to come into this league and be a great linebacker, you look at 54.
“You look at Fred and what he’s done to change the game, especially how the linebacker position is played from sideline to sideline. I’d like to say he opened the doors for guys like me with my body type to come in and play four downs of football. I have the utmost respect for him. It’s going to be good watching him play, but it’s a battle at the end of the day. We want to come out as the linebacker unit that showed up and made the plays.”
Fred Warner Gets Blunt on Facing Dallas’ Offense
Meanwhile, Warner has plenty of respect for the Cowboys offense. On Nov. 11, the veteran linebacker spoke to the media and talked about Dallas’ offense, as they’ll be looking to make that unit’s life difficult in this contest. Warner noted that the 49ers need to be on their A-game, given that the Cowboys can hurt them in the passing game.
“Dak [Prescott has] always played at a high level at the quarterback position,” Warner told reporters. “A guy I got a ton of respect for as a player and as a leader for their team. He has some really elite weapons on the outside.
“CeeDee [Lamb] is having a tremendous year, getting a lot of targets, but also making use of those targets. George Pickens is also a huge weapon and has freakish ability when he gets the ball in his hands.”
49ers’ Fred Warner Sparks Blunt Words From Cowboys’ Dak Prescott