Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer provided an injury update on WR George Pickens that could change everything for Sunday’s matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. It could also go a long way in explaining the eyebrow-raising stance oddsmakers are taking on this game.

A lot of people were surprised to see the 49ers favored by only 3.5 points, and I’ll include myself in that group. Sure, San Francisco is on the road, so a field-goal-plus spread in its favor isn’t nothing. But the Niners are 7-1. The Cowboys are 4-5 and have yet to string together back-to-back wins.

So shouldn’t San Francisco be favored by more? The injury report suggests a potential mismatch in favor of Dallas, one that could make this game a chaotic one.

Schottenheimer’s update on George Pickens

Schottenheimer said Pickens “moved well in Thursday’s practice,” when the receiver was a limited participant in practice. That bodes well for Dallas and points toward Pickens having a strong chance to play Sunday.

The Cowboys coach indicated if Pickens shows the same in practice on Friday, he should be good to go. Keep in mind, Schottenheimer said Pickens was “close” to playing versus the Colts in Week 9.

Owner Jerry Jones added in a Friday interview on 105.3 The Fan that the Cowboys are relatively healthy heading into the game. There might be questions about Joey Porter Jr. and a few others. But if Pickens can go, Dallas has a chance to attack one of the biggest problems San Francisco is dealing with.

The 49ers’ cornerback situation is a mess

Renardo Green and Deommodore Lenoir, the 49ers’ top two starting cornerbacks, did not practice Thursday. Lenoir is dealing with a foot injury, while Green has a back injury he suffered while intercepting a pass against the Raiders. Lenoir was also hurt in that game.

UPDATE: Both Green and Lenoir are QUESTIONABLE on the Friday injury report.

If neither can go, San Francisco may have to turn to a fourth-round rookie cornerback, Ephesians Prysock. Who fills the other spot is harder to tell. Nate Hobbs is a candidate to be activated from injured reserve, and Jack Jones and Brandon Codrington could be elevated from the practice squad.

Green and Lenoir have each played at least 95% of the 49ers’ defensive snaps. The rookie has a 1.73% snap share, which works out to nine snaps for the entire season. That is as low as it gets.

A healthy cornerback tandem has been one of the reasons San Francisco has played better defense. This is unfamiliar territory for the Niners. Even nickel back Upton Stout isn’t at full strength. He has been practicing, but he has been limited on the injury report while dealing with a shoulder injury.

How the Cowboys can take advantage

For Dallas, this is a potential major advantage. The Cowboys have one of the best receiver duos in the league in CeeDee Lamb and Pickens. If Pickens can play at a high level, you should expect Dak Prescott and Schottenheimer to find ways to get both of them the football.

The 49ers’ pass rush is decent, but it isn’t one of their strengths. If Prescott has time in the pocket and is staring at backup cornerbacks with Pickens and Lamb on his side, this offense should put points on the board. 

That also means this is the kind of game where Dallas has to move away from the run. San Francisco is great against the run, and Fred Warner, one of the best linebackers in the game, patrols the middle of that defense. The smarter path is to steer clear of Warner and go after the cornerback group.

I still have plenty of questions about whether the Cowboys can slow down the 49ers’ offense. That hasn’t changed. But if the Dallas offense can take advantage of a banged-up secondary, this game could turn into a shootout. And the Cowboys can hang in a shootout.

The real question is whether they can match San Francisco’s output. Sunday will tell us.