Cowboys Meet 49ers for Record 9th Playoff Time: Live Updates

SANTA CLARA, CA (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — The Dallas Cowboys will play the San Francisco 49ers for the ninth time, setting a playoff record.

Dallas won five of the previous eight meetings but lost at home to San Francisco in the wild-card round last season. The Nines enter the game with an 11-game winning streak that is their longest in 25 years.

The Cowboys snapped an eight-game playoff losing streak last week in Tampa Bay and are looking for their first NFC title game spot since winning the Super Bowl in the 1995 season.

COWBOYS PLAYER TO WATCH: RB Tony Pollard is closest in skill set to Christian McCaffrey of Dallas. He has clearly become a major threat compared to Ezekiel Elliott in the backfield and could be the best offensive player on the team. He averaged 5.1 yards per carry versus Elliott’s 2.1 in the wild win. Pollard has eight plays for at least 30 yards this season, and three of them are tackles—all touchdowns.

49ERS PLAYER TO WATCH: Quarterback Brock Purdy will try to join Joe Flacco (2008) and Mark Sanchez (2009) as the only rookie quarterbacks to win two playoff starts. Purdy is a 6-0 starter and has made at least two TD passes in seven consecutive games. Last week, he threw for 332 yards and had three touchdowns and was also looking to score by becoming the first rookie to throw at least four touchdowns in a playoff game.

KEY MATCHUP: Dallas WR CeeDee Lamb vs. San Francisco CB Charvarius Ward. The Niners have often used Ward on the No. 1 receiver this season and have been getting good results, but he was hit hard for a 50-yard touchdown last week by D.C. Metcalfe of Seattle. If Ward can stick well around Lamb, that should give the pass rush some extra time to get to Duck Prescott.

MAJOR INJURIES: Dallas LT Jason Peters is expected to be ruled out after suffering a hip injury against the Bucks. If so, the Cowboys will pick up the OL where they left off when eight-time LT Pro Bowl Tyrone Smith made his season debut in week 15 after tearing his hamstring and starting on the right side instead of the left. At the time, Dallas decided to keep first-round rookie Tyler Smith in LT. Peters’ injury meant the return of Connor McGovern to LG, where Tyler Smith started last week.

Jaron Kears, who played a key defensive role against McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel, injured his knee against Tampa Bay but was able to play.

DE Samson Ebukam and WR Jauan Jennings are both expected to play for San Francisco despite being limited to ankle injuries this week.