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Niners venture out of division to play Dallas

By DENNIS GEORGATOS AP Sports Writer

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) - The San Francisco 49ers built their NFC-best 7-1 mark by rolling through the bulk of their divisional schedule. The going is about to get tougher, starting with Sunday's game against Dallas.

"We all understand the caliber of players and the team that they have," 49ers coach Steve Mariucci said Monday.

"They're the second-ranked defense in the league, next to ours, so we know we're in for a dogfight. Yards are going to be hard to come by and so are points."

Sunday's game renews one of the league's marquee rivalries, pitting teams that have won four of the last five Super Bowls.

"You don't have to go very far to figure out that this is a huge game for our organization and for the Dallas Cowboys organization," Mariucci said. "We're playing the football team that most mirrors our organization, not in every way but in many ways.

"Their organization has five Super Bowls, just like we do. Their organization has a lot of good veteran players, just like we do. They have very high expectations, just like we do. Every person that works here and every fan that follows the Niners knows what kind of week this is going to be. We have to handle it right."

Though banged up on the offensive line, San Francisco comes into Sunday's matchup against the Cowboys (4-4) tied with Denver for the NFL's best record. Since a season-opening loss, the 49ers have won seven straight, all against NFC West teams, including Sunday's 23-0 win at New Orleans.

"It's not that the teams we've played have been that bad; it's that we made them look bad," linebacker Gary Plummer said. "The Cowboys are going to be a good test for us, the first real test we've had."

Dallas has won three Super Bowls in the '90s, twice beating the 49ers in the NFC title game en route to the championship. The 49ers turned the tables in 1994. Green Bay pushed past San Francisco and Dallas in the NFC in claiming the Super Bowl last season.

But the Cowboys particularly have struggled to regain their championship form. They're coming off a 13-12 loss to Philadelphia, their fourth loss this season to an NFC East rival.

Quarterback Troy Aikman missed much of the game after a neck strain and a concussion, though he said Monday he expects to play against the 49ers.

"It's pretty ironic how this has played out over the years between these two teams," safety Tim McDonald said. "These guys have lost some games but they're still very capable. As a team, they're probably more dangerous now. They want to get back on track and what better way than against us? We're going to see the best Cowboys team that we've seen all year."

The game also could go a long way in determining the 49ers' standing in comparison to the league's other elite teams.

San Francisco has outscored opponents 204-85 in stringing together seven straight wins but the victories have come against teams with a combined record of 9-24.

Over the second half of the season, the 49ers face opponents who are a combined 40-24, beginning with Dallas and including Denver, Kansas City, Minnesota and Philadelphia.

"I think all the doubters are saying the 49ers played a soft schedule and that we haven't really played a strong team," linebacker Ken Norton Jr. said. "Our identity last year was that we couldn't win the big game (going 0-5 against Dallas, Green Bay and Carolina in '96). The more those big games come up, the more we shut up our doubters and gain confidence as we go along. But this obviously is a big game for us."

Mariucci, who has guided the 49ers through a wave of injuries that depleted the offensive line and sidelined receiver Jerry Rice, added: "We know we're going to be challenged more and more as the season wears on. It's a matter of trying to stay healthy and replacing injured guys with people that get the job done. We're not the only team in the league that has some injuries. Everybody does. It's a matter of who handles it the best way and whose backups step up and fill in the best."