The Dallas Cowboys once again fell to the San Francisco 49ers, losing 30-24 at Levi’s Stadium.
In what has become a recurring storyline, Kyle Shanahan’s team wore down Mike Zimmer’s defense, racking up 223 rushing yards.
Dallas held a 10-6 lead at halftime, but a tough third quarter saw Dak Prescott intercepted, leading to a 21-point burst by the 49ers that distanced them from Mike McCarthy’s squad.
The Cowboys showed resilience, closing the gap to one score as Prescott and CeeDee Lamb connected for gains of 15, seven, 21, 29, and 20 yards, capped by two touchdowns.
Despite a late chance to win, the Cowboys’ offense stalled, failing to gain any yards and ultimately turning the ball over on downs, allowing Brock Purdy and the 49ers to seal the game.
After the game, McCarthy commended his team’s effort. “I thought the guys did an excellent job fighting back in the 4th quarter,” he said.
“We just needed to make one or two more plays… We’re disappointed… We have a ton to work on… We didn’t get it done.”
In Monday’s analysis at The Star in Frisco, McCarthy echoed similar sentiments but identified a persistent issue for Dallas.
“We need to keep it about football. We can’t waste our time on anything that doesn’t help us win. … I’m about winning, and everybody has got a job to do. Our job is to win.
And my job is to make sure we stay about winning and not get caught up in the other stuff.”
What “other stuff”? With the Cowboys, take your pick. Trevon Diggs engaging in a needless spat with a reporter? Check. Sam Williams facing an NFL suspension? Check.
Rico Dowdle fielding conspiracy theory questions about his health? Check.
And, of course, Jerry Jones regularly making statements to keep “America’s Team” in the headlines? Check and check.
There was hope that Dallas would look like a renewed team coming off the bye week, and in the first half, they showed energy, physicality, and held their own to go into halftime leading 10-6.
But that energy was short-lived.
In the third quarter, Dallas faltered on both sides.
The defense allowed a touchdown on the first drive, and then Dak threw an interception, setting up another 49ers score. And with that, the game slipped away.
While the Cowboys’ comeback was admirable, the same underlying problems—costly penalties, turnovers, a weak running game (only 56 yards), struggles to stop the run, and a predictable offensive scheme—remained evident, leaving the team still searching for answers and maybe bogged down by a bit too much “other stuff.”
