It would be surprising to see the San Francisco 49ers face much of a challenge offensively against the Dallas Cowboys.

The Cowboys have one of the worst defenses in the NFL. I’m sure Kyle Shanahan is chomping at the bit to unleash his incredible offense against them. It won’t be a challenge for them.

The real challenge for the 49ers will be on defense. Dallas boasts one of the best wide receiver duos in the league: CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. On Thursday, Raheem Morris detailed the challenges of facing the lethal duo. 

“CeeDee [Lamb], when you start with him you’re talking about a guy that’s highly targeted, a bunch of receptions. He’s a volume player. He gets the ball a lot. They put the ball in his hand,” Morris said. “He’s like all those guys, JSNs, Nacua’s and all the guys in our division, where they target him a lot and he’s heavily targeted. 

“Then you’ve got that freak on the other side, [George] Pickens, sometimes on the same side. He’s got freak-like ability. He’s a great mover. He’s very versatile, can do a bunch of different things. He can shock you in all types of ways down the field, vertical or with catch and run. They’re a very, very difficult crew. Very excited about the matchup.”

Lamb is the second-leading receiver in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. Only Jaxon Smith-Njigba is putting up better numbers than him. That shows how elite Lamb is performing this season.

The 49ers have done a fine job against him in the past. However, he’s on a different level this year, so he may be too tough to slow down. Keeping it silent will be nearly impossible.

Especially because Pickens is on the other side. He hasn’t been as great as last season, but he’s still an issue. He’s liable to pop off in a game at any moment.

This makes the status of the 49ers’ starting cornerbacks critical. Renardo Green (back) and Deommodore Lenoir (foot) have missed two practices this week.

If they can practice on Friday, they’ll likely play against the Cowboys. But they might be compromised, making it an even greater challenge facing Lamb and Pickens. 

The 49ers’ pass rush will be key to limiting the damage Lamb and Pickens can do. Green and Lenoir are the only capable corners to match up with Dallas’ lethal duo.

If neither can go, it’ll likely be a long day for rookie Ephesians Prysock, Nate Hobbs, and Jack Jones. What a terrible time for Green and Lenoir to be hurt.