Smarter Rivals
The Niners defeated the Cowboys in the 2022 Divisional Game without a franchise quarterback. Kyle Shanahan deserves immense credit because he overcame a massive loss on opening day. Trey Lance suffered a season-ending injury and this threw Jimmy G. into the mix. Then his injury meant that Brock Purdy played. Shanahan transformed Purdy into one of the year’s best stories.

However, this also shows that the Cowboys’ rivals play smarter than them. Mike McCarthy cost his team by failing to remember that two-point conversions exist. They also made an appalling trick play call at the end of the game. They suffered a loss to San Francisco the previous year too because they lacked the ability to win (via USA Today Sports).