Since their first famous playoff showdown ended with Joe Montana connecting with Dwight Clark to get the 49ers to their first Super Bowl nearly 44 years ago, the stakes when Dallas (3-3) and San Francisco (3-4) have met have often been incredibly high.
With both teams searching for a spark as the midway point of the 2024 season approaches, it’ll be a key opportunity for the two clubs trying to stay connected in the NFC playoff picture, needing a win on Sunday Night Football (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC and streaming on Peacock) to do so.
The injury bug has taken up residence in the 49ers’ locker room this season, and Brandon Aiyuk is the most recent offensive star to have been impacted. He’s out for the year after tearing his ACL and MCL in Week 7’s loss to the Chiefs. Deebo Samuel, who missed that game after coming down with pneumonia, had a short hospital stay early in the week, and Christian McCaffrey still hasn’t played this season because of Achilles tendonitis.
The Cowboys have largely gotten steamrolled at home, giving up 44 points to the Saints, 274 rushing yards to the Ravens, and 47 points to the Lions in three losses, so the best news for Dallas might be that this game is in San Francisco. Micah Parsons, who’s been out with a high ankle sprain, will not play in Week 8. Also, kicker Brandon Aubrey missed practice at the end of last week because of jury duty. He was selected for the 12-member panel for the case reportedly involving a second-degree strangulation offense. He won’t miss games on Sundays because criminal courts are closed on weekends in Tarrant County, Texas.
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Touchdown, Cowboys
That drive was all CeeDee Lamb. He racked up 70 yards on three catches there, including a 20-yard touchdown reception. He was left wide open again, too.
Suddenly, we’ve got a six point game.
49ers 30, Cowboys 17
Carlson drilled a 41-yarder for the 49ers to extend their lead once again. The Cowboys will get the ball back now with 4:25 left, and will have to score quickly.
Touchdown, Cowboys
Dak Prescott hits CeeDee Lamb for a wide open touchdown in the corner of the end zone to cap their drive.
The 49ers lead 27-17 now with 7:58 to play.
The Cowboys nearly pulled off an interception there, which would’ve changed the game completely, but instead they force a quick 49ers punt.
If the Cowboys are going to climb back in this, they’ll need to score here almost immediately.
Dak Prescott was just sacked on their second play of the fourth quarter, and the 49ers will get the ball back once again. We’re just about done here.
49ers 27, Cowboys 10
Brock Purdy comes up with a 2-yard touchdown run, and the 49ers are running away with this one. They are up by 17 points now near the end of the third.
George Kittle is dominating on National Tight Ends Day. That latest catch marked the 500th of his career.
That’s a quick three and out for the Cowboys, and this game feels like it’s slipping away from them fast.
The 49ers will get the ball back at their own 25 yard line now with just more than six minutes left in the third quarter.
Since taking a 10-3 lead and excluding the final kneeldown of the half, the Cowboys offense has run nine plays for 19 yards. The game has turned. The season could be turning too, if it hasn’t already.
The 49ers capitalized on Dak Prescott’s latest interception, and their lead is now 10. Brock Purdy hit George Kittle for a 2-yard touchdown.
Dak Prescott INT, again
Well there’s Dak Prescott’s second interception of the night, and this one was much worse than the first. Prescott tried to find CeeDee Lamb, and Deommodore Lenoir picked him off.
Prescott now has eight touchdowns and eight interceptions so far this season. He had just nine interceptions total last season.
49ers 13, Cowboys 10
Well that looked easy. George Kittle just broke open a 43 yard gain, which set up a short Guerendo touchdown run. That was the first of his career, too.
The 49ers are now in the lead for the first time tonight.
We’re back for the second half, and Brandon Aubrey missed the landing zone on his kick. So the 49ers will start at the 40.
Halftime Stats
Cowboys: 10
Dak Prescott: 14-of-18 for 110 yards, 1 INT
Ezekiel Elliott: 29 yards, 1 TD on 6 carries
CeeDee Lamb: 48 yards on 7 receptions
49ers: 6
Brock Purdy: 10-of-16 for 151 yards
Isaac Guerendo: 38 yards on 3 carries
George Kittle: 56 yards on 3 receptions
Halftime: Cowboys 10, 49ers 6
The Cowboys took a knee there, and they’ll take a four-point lead into halftime at Levi’s Stadium.
The 49ers will get the ball out of the break.
Brock Purdy fumbled to move the 49ers out of field goal range, and they had to punt now on 4th and 17. The Cowboys defense — which has struggled for most of the season — is shutting San Francisco down so far tonight.
Dallas will take over at the 1 with just 10 seconds left.
Well, that was a wasted drive for the Cowboys. They went three-and-out there, and the 49ers will get the ball back now with 54 seconds left before halftime.
Dallas’ drive took just 21 seconds.
Cowboys 10, 49ers 6
The 49ers had a great opportunity to tie the game up before halftime there, but they had to settle for another field goal.
The Cowboys’ lead is now just four points, but they’ll get the ball back with 90 seconds left in the second quarter.
Jordan Mason left for the locker room early, and he’s now questionable to return for San Francisco.
Cowboys 10, 49ers 3
The Cowboys made it down within the 10 yard line, and recovered another near-fumble, but they had to settle for a field goal.
Dallas is up by a touchdown now with 2:56 left in the half.
The 49ers had a fourth down conversion, but a wide open Deebo Samuel dropped a pass thrown a bit behind him in the middle of the field. So the Cowboys will take over in great field position here in the second quarter.
