[alby]

I guess since we can't count on chaffy anymore, here it is...

Let's hope the Cowboys show their fans and the rest of the country that they are a legitimate football team, especially after that embarassment on national TV.

Here is the ESPN preview:

Julian Peterson apparently is following Derek Smith's lead when it comes to putting his foot in his mouth.

Showing an abundance of confidence for the NFL's worst team last season, Peterson has stamped a "guarantee" that the San Francisco 49ers will beat the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.

"You say I guaranteed it, yes," Peterson told the San Francisco Chronicle. "I think we're going to play well. I'm positive we're going to win, to be honest. We're going to go out there to win, or they're coming out here to lose."

Last week, Smith labeled Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver a "bad apple" and said he would love to get a shot at him.

It turned out that the 49ers had no shot against their former teammate, who had a 68-yard touchdown catch on the game's third play from scrimmage. He added a 42-yard TD reception in the second quarter and finished with five receptions for 143 yards as the Eagles rolled to a 42-3 rout.

The Niners were dismal on both sides of the ball. They allowed 583 total yards and managed just 142.

Tim Rattay was abysmal against the Eagles, completing just 13-of-26 passes for 107 yards with three interceptions before being pulled in the fourth quarter in favor of rookie Alex Smith.

Despite the struggles, Rattay will remain the starter.

"We're not changing anything. We're staying with the same structure at quarterback," Niners coach Mike Nolan said.

This is the first of consecutive games in the Bay Area for the Cowboys, who are coming off a historic loss.

Coach Bill Parcells had been 77-0 in his career when his teams held a lead of at least 13 points in the fourth quarter. But last Monday night, Parcells watched his defense surrender touchdown passes of 39 and 70 yards in the final 3:46 of a 14-13 loss to the Washington Redskins.

Cowboys quarterback Drew Bledsoe has played well in the first two games, completing 39-of-60 passes for 487 yards and four touchdowns.

Matchup to watch: Cowboys tight end Jason Witten, who has just five catches for 47 yards in two games, against strong safety Tony Parrish.

Series: San Francisco leads, 16-13-1.

Next week: Dallas visits Oakland, October 2 San Francisco visits Arizona at Mexico City, October 2