3 Dallas Cowboys who will help re-write history in playoffs

It is time for the Dallas Cowboys to re-write history by utilizing the talent they have now to upset the San Francisco 49ers.

The Dallas Cowboys conquered demons this past Monday night by closing the chapter on Tampa Bay’s lukewarm, uneven season. Unfortunately, there is no pot of gold awaiting this team at the end of that rainbow.

What is waiting for the Dallas Cowboys is a rested, talented 49ers team brimming with confidence after they dismantled their NFC West rival Seattle Seahawks in their respective wildcard game.

The question becomes – what has changed for the Dallas Cowboys that will help lead to a different outcome from last year’s playoff game versus the 49ers? The end of last year’s game is still tucked away in the minds of most Cowboy fans and a date with redemption could not come soon enough at Levi Stadium.

Both teams will present familiar starting lineups in this game so there won’t be much shock effect for the opponent. Obviously, for the 49ers, Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffery will get a fair share of attention, but Dallas has weapons of their own that was not a part of last year’s game that should receive equal attention.

Israel Mukuamu, SAF/CB

Israel Mukuamu has been waiting for his opportunity to become a household name for two years. On Monday night, he didn’t quite become the household name, but he did not disappoint in his opportunities to shine on the big stage.

The 6-foot-4, athletic former-cornerback from the University of South Carolina had his coverage skills and aggression on full display. In limited action, he recorded four solo tackles and two pass deflections while mostly playing man coverage versus Chris Godwin.

His ability to aggressively toe the line without getting penalized was superb. There were multiple occasions when Mukuamu lined up against Godwin and made open field tackles or at the very least was in the correct position to prevent any type of impactful play.

Israel Mukuamu While Chris Godwin is a solid slot receiver, Christian McCaffery will present a totally separate package of problems. He is elusive, fast and makes impacts in both the run and pass game.

Last take a walk back down memory lane. In 2018, the Dallas Cowboys beat the New Orleans Saints in a regular season game. Granted, Dan Quinn was not the defensive coordinator for that game and the stage was not quite as big, the game plan focused on stopping dual threat running back, Alvin Kamara.

Jourdan Lewis was in a similar role as Mukuamu. He used his aggression and coverage skills to neutralize the Kamara in that game.  The mindset should be no different against McCaffery.

While it will take a team effort to neutralize McCaffery, Mukuamu’s performance against Tampa Bay should have at least earned him the first opportunity.