The 49ers are now the Cowboys’ tormentors, and Dallas knows it

Sunday’s matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers will be the latest chapter in a storied rivalry that spans decades of football history. Yet, for much of that history, the Cowboys often got the last laugh in the postseason, particularly in the 1970s and 1990s.

It’s something that’s clearly eating at this current Cowboys team. When a reporter on Sunday asked quarterback Dak Prescott about how it felt leaving Levi’s Stadium after last season’s playoff loss, the quarterback stared right back at his interviewer in silence for a couple seconds before delivering his response.

“I mean, it’s obvious. We’re so far past that, to be honest with you, but that’s obvious,” Prescott said. “You just want to piss me off going into this week, and I appreciate that. I do, actually. I do. Appreciate that. Appreciate that.”

When that same reporter followed up with how often Prescott thinks about that moment, the typically polished quarterback nearly let a swear slip. “Every f— every day.”

Not everyone in the Cowboys locker room is using a reporter’s question as bulletin board material. Defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins used the consecutive postseason exits on their own as motivation.

“It sucks to lose to these guys back-to-back years, especially when we have the talent that we have,” Hankins said Monday. “So this week, we definitely going to be more ready and attack these guys. I definitely think this is the year we get them.”

This conversation naturally made its way into the owner’s box too. Speaking at his weekly radio spot in Dallas, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones described his team as a roadblock for the Niners’ championship aspirations.

“They are right now, probably the most likely team to go win the Super Bowl, but in order for them to get there they have to go by us, hopefully two times if that’s the way it falls in the playoffs and we’re in the playoffs, of course,” Jones said.

Meanwhile, there’s 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan, who’s just looking forward to playing some primetime football.

“I’m a fan of football also first, growing up and everything and still am now,” Shanahan said. “So anytime there’s big matchups and stuff, especially for the night games, that’s what’s great for our league, and there’s nothing more fun than being a part of it as a player or a coach. These are like kind of the games you live for and you enjoy.”

The Niners will hope to enjoy a third straight win against the Cowboys on Sunday, which would be their first such streak against Dallas since 1995.