October 8, 2023 10:27 pm CT
The Dallas Cowboys want to be contenders, but they certainly didn’t play as if they believed in themselves on Sunday night. That makes it hard for anyone else to believe in them. Returning to the scene of the crime, where they were eliminated from the postseason back in January, the Cowboys put up very little resistance as the 49ers confirmed their status as the NFL’s best team to this point in 2023.
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It was a thorough whooping from start to finish, and it snowballed out of control rather early and became a total embarrassment before it was all over. If owner Jerry Jones thought this was a measuring stick game for his organization, the results were not good. The defense was horrible, the offense couldn’t convert first downs and then started turning the ball over. In the end, a 42-10 loss sends the Cowboys to 3-2 on the year.
There is more than enough blame to throw around. Quarterback Dak Prescott struggled to find open receivers and when they did get open he missed passes that could’ve turned into something. Then he began pressing and ended up throwing three interceptions before being pulled in the blowout.
Head coach Mike McCarthy’s playcalling did the quarterback no favors, either. There was a lack of creativity and a ton of timidity.
The Dallas defense under Dan Quinn was embarrassed by Kyle Shanahan’s offense in the hands of Brock Purdy, who was able to make it look easy as he repeatedly found wide open targets in stride.
Throw in potential long-term injuries to Kavontae Turpin, Donovan Wilson and Leighton Vander Esch, and it could not have gone much worse for Dallas.
From the opening drive of the game, the defense’s performance was subpar. Penalties gave up 20 yards while the San Francisco offense marched down the field to go up early. George Kittle’s touchdown was just the beginning, and when the Dallas offense got on the field they did little to stem the building momentum.
Dallas failed to gain a first down on six of their first seven drives, and the defense never woke up.
Dallas failed to net 200 yards of offense and gave up 422 to the 49ers. It was their most lopsided performance of the young season.
Young season should be in quotes, because effectively the loss put an end to Dallas’ hopes of winning the NFC. Officially two games behind the 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles, the Cowboys are really three games behind as by virtue of the head-to-head loss have to finish with a better record than San Francisco to earn home field advantage.
And based on Dallas’ performance in their two games on grass this year, this loss has to shift them out of contender status. Dallas went into Arizona and their natural grass field and looked like a shell of the team that has been out on the turf in their three blowout victories in 2023.
Both nationally, and within the Cowboys fanbase, it’s going to take a lot to convince anyone Dallas can hang with the 49ers as both teams are currently constituted.
