In their highly anticipated clash against the San Francisco 49ers on “Sunday Night Football," the Dallas Cowboys had Week 5 marked on their calendars.
Seeking vengeance for their recent playoff defeats to the 49ers, the Cowboys were eager to prove their mettle on the prime-time stage at Levi"s Stadium.
However, the game didn"t unfold as they had hoped.
San Francisco emerged victorious with a commanding 42-10 win, leaving Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and coach Mike McCarthy puzzled.
“Didn"t see it coming," Prescott said after the game. “… Put everything into this and got punched in the mouth. Called [the Cowboys" loss] a couple weeks ago ‘humbling" 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, matchups, and they beat us in every aspect."
Despite entering the contest with the NFL"s best defense, surrendering an average of only 10 points per game, the Cowboys" defense faced a formidable challenge in the 49ers" offense.
Unfortunately for Dallas, quarterback Dak Prescott struggled under pressure, completing just 14 of 24 passes for 153 yards.
He threw one touchdown but was intercepted three times, ending the game with a disappointing 51.6 passer rating.
On the other side of the ball, Brock Purdy delivered an impressive performance. He completed 17 of 24 passes for 252 yards, throwing four touchdowns and boasting a remarkable 144.4 passer rating.
Equally important, Purdy did not throw a single interception, solidifying the 49ers" offensive success.
Star running back Christian McCaffrey also contributed to the scoring, extending his touchdown streak to 14 consecutive games.
Furthermore, tight end George Kittle had a standout night, recording the first three-touchdown game of his impressive seven-year NFL career.
“Well, explanation: A very humbling loss. Clearly stating the obvious," McCarthy said after the game. “… The biggest thing is for us to be accountable. It was clearly humbling, but it is one game. I think I expressed this during the week; I thought [the 49ers] were playing very well coming into this. We knew our defense was in for a big challenge. Been very impressed with what they"re doing on offense, and frankly, starting with me, I didn"t do a good job tonight. “We"ve got work to do. We"ve got a lot of work to do."
