Cowboys can't escape painful reality after embarrassing loss to 49ers
One of the two football teams that took the field on Sunday Night Football was clearly better than the other. And the difference between them was overwhelmingly and painfully large. Betting markets made the San Francisco 49ers 3.5-point favorites over the Dallas Cowboys. They got steamrolled 42-10 and the game felt pretty much over at […]
One of the two football teams that took the field on Sunday Night Football was clearly better than the other. And the difference between them was overwhelmingly and painfully large. Betting markets made the San Francisco 49ers 3.5-point favorites over the Dallas Cowboys.
They got steamrolled 42-10 and the game felt pretty much over at halftime.
It took the Cowboys five possessions to move the chains. Fred Warner and Nick Bosa were chilling with their helmets off on the sidelines with nearly a full quarter left to be played.
On one hand, Dak Prescott threw three interceptions en route to a 51.6 passer rating. On the other, Brock Purdy was resting in the fourth quarter after a four-touchdown performance. It was total and complete domination between two teams expected to be competitors for the NFC title. On Sunday night, it was evident they were not competitors.
The 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles might be. We'll find out later in the season. But at least for now, the Cowboys are not in the same tier as San Francisco. Pick a matchup, any matchup. I'll take my chances and say Dallas lost it. If you pressed me into picking a positive from this game, I could point to only one thing…
Kicker Brandon Aubrey nailed a 50-yarder. That's where that ends.
Fans and media will undoubtedly turn this into a quarterback situation. Some will claim Dak Prescott is holding the Cowboys back. Some will claim Brock Purdy is the superior QB. But don't let it fool you. This isn't a conversation that should come down to just one position. It should come down to a full organization. The Cowboys don't have what it takes to bring down the NFC's elite.
Other notes from the Cowboys' loss:
- The Cowboys elected to defer after winning the coin toss, contrary to their decision versus the New England Patriots and New York Jets earlier in the year. The 49ers made the most of it, starting out with a seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive.
- Speaking of slow starts, the offense had one, as well. The Cowboys went three and out in a drive where Dak Prescott missed an open Luke Schoonmaker over the right side of the field.
- Penalties were consistently an issue for the Cowboys. Late in the first quarter, the defense got a stop on third down, only for it to be wiped out by an offsides called on Jayron Kearse, who was lined up in the neutral zone at the snap. The defense later held up in that same drive.
- Prescott's interceptions made a comeback in a variety of ways. A desperate "yolo" shot deep and over the middle of the field that was only catchable by the safety. A tipped ball from Michael Gallup into the hands of the Niners. And a forced football on a short route.
