The San Francisco 49ers are looking like the team to beat in the NFL, with a gut-punching 42-10 blowout over a red hot Dallas Cowboys team.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — This game was supposed to be good. Touted as Week 5’s marquee matchup on a Sunday Night on the West Coast, the 49ers were supposed to face their toughest test of the year. Instead, the Niners blew right by the surging Dallas Cowboys with a 3 touchdown day from George Kittle.
Brock Purdy looked nearly impeccable, throwing 4 touchdowns, smashing any doubts of him being the long-term 49ers quarterback from critics. The Niners proved their investment in him by getting rid of the congested QB room that was present last year, with Jimmy Garoppolo going to the Raiders and Trey Lance coming back into town in the form of Dak Prescott’s backup.
Purdy threw for 252 yards on 17 completions paired with 24 attempts. He topped it all off by being interception-free, a common theme this season with Purdy as he hasn’t thrown the ball to the opposite team all year. For San Francisco, it was a joyous night with Purdy and the rest of the starters being able to get their nights ended early as most of the backups were called in early in the fourth quarter.
“It felt good, especially going against the No. 1 defense in the league,” star left tackle Trent Williams said. “Obviously, that’s a big test for Week 5 of the year. I think we passed that test with flying colors. But we’re going to get tested again.”
Tight end George Kittle also showed why he’s one of the best players at his position, with three receptions all going for touchdowns, totaling 67 yards. Kyle Juszcyzk also got in on the action, with Purdy’s only touchdown pass not going to Kittle.
What Made San Francisco So Good?
San Francisco outperformed Dallas in nearly every corner of the game. The high-powered 49ers offense bolstered by a crew of all stars got the wheels churning for a team that has scored 30+ points in the last eight games. Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel looked perfectly in-sync with Purdy all night hitting throws and catches in stride and with anticipation.
The epitome of the sublime connection was deep in the third quarter on a ball thrown by Purdy over the middle that zipped right over Cowboys’ linebacker Leighton Vander Esch’s head. It seemed as if fate was a 49ers fan.
PURDY’S STORY: From Zero to Hero: How Brock Purdy Ditched The ‘Mr Irrelevant’ Moniker to be One of the NFL’s Rising Stars
Purdy described the offense as a “quarterback’s dream” during his post game interview.
On the defensive side, the Niners took away the ball three times on a horrid night for Dak Prescott and the Cowboys offense. It seemed as if Dallas was sputtering at times– throwing the ball just to throw it and saying prayers. While the 49ers offense was a quarterback’s dream, the Cowboys looked more like a nightmare.
Fred Warner and Nick Bosa wrecked a solid Dallas offensive line. CeeDee Lamb was shut down for only 49 yards on 4 catches while Dak went 14/24 and sub-200 passing yards. For an offense that was hyped up as one of the best, the team has some serious soul searching to do, and ASAP as the Cowboys face a tough stretch of teams in the coming weeks.
Where Do The Cowboys Go From Here?
The Cowboys need answers and quick. This Dallas team has been regarded as one of the best offenses in the NFC. Or so we thought. Dallas faces a rising Chargers team on Monday Night, and to be frank– this is the true measuring stick game.
If Dallas was all smoke and mirrors, they would be apt to lay down against Los Angeles. In the coming weeks, the team needs to figure out their quarterback situation. While questionable, Dak is still the answer. It’d be null to bench him after a single terrible performance, and the Cowboys have no other solutions behind him. A young Trey Lance sits, however the team doesn’t think he’s ready.
Dallas must be ready for this upcoming stretch where they face the Eagles in just three weeks along with the Rams and Panthers.
“It’s a punch in the gut, it’s a kick the in the (butt), whatever phrase you want to put on it,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “They beat us in all three phases.”
“Didn’t see it coming,” quarterback Dak Prescott said. “Put everything into this, and got punched in the mouth. It was humbling a couple weeks ago against Arizona. But this may be the most humbling game I’ve ever been a part of. Felt good about the preparation, felt good about everything honestly coming into this game and they beat us in every aspect.”
