SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The Cowboys went eight weeks into the season before losing on the road.
But in so many ways, this team looks lost.
Dallas has had worse defeats than the 30-24 setback it suffered at the hands of San Francisco Sunday night at Levi’s Stadium. One of them came on this very same field one year ago.
But for a team coming off a 38-point loss at home to Detroit, for a team that had a bye week to discard certain plays, refine others and adapt, the outcome was damning.
A Dallas defense that appeared to take a step forward in the first half reverted to form in the second, allowing the Niners to score touchdowns on their first three possessions to turn a 10-6 halftime deficit into a 17-point lead entering the final period.
“You have ebbs and flows of the game,’’ Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said. “We obviously stayed in that valley way too long.
“The three, three-and-outs on offense, we didn’t give our defense any relief, either.’’
It should come as no surprise. This defense has now allowed opponents to score to open the second half six times this season, with five of those being touchdowns.
Dak Prescott was no better. The Cowboys quarterback keeps saying he’s seeing the game well.
Just what is he seeing? Prescott has thrown two interceptions in three consecutive games for the first time in his career. He’s the first Cowboys quarterback to accomplish that dubious feat since Troy Aikman in 1992.
The first interception came on the Cowboys’ second possession when he went deep to KaVontae Turpin. The Niners, as they did all game, got good pressure on Prescott without blitzing. Safety Ji’Ayir Brown jumped the ball, and when Prescott didn’t get the pass to the back pylon San Francisco got the pick on their own 8-yard line.
Bosa gets the pressure. Brown gets the pick. @49ers ball!
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Dallas was down 13-10 on the Cowboys’ first possession of the second half. On third-and-4, Prescott’s pass to CeeDee Lamb was intercepted by corner Deommodore Lenoir along the sidelines.
“I called it too early,’’ McCarthy said. “That’s a better third-and-3 to call. The leverage wasn’t there so he [Prescott] is trying to make a play.
“We’ve got to throw the ball away there. But I wish I had that play call back on the second interception.’’
This is not what the franchise was banking on when it made Prescott the highest-paid player in NFL history just hours before the regular season opener
And none of this even addresses the league’s worst rushing attack.
Veteran Dalvin Cook was elevated for this game for the first time this season. He wasn’t viewed as the savior as much as a why not? An unexpected illness that hit starter Rico Dowdle after he arrived at the stadium paved the way for a Cook-Ezekiel Elliott tandem.
The two combined had trouble keeping up with San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy in terms of production on the ground.
No running game. No pass rush. No turnovers forced. Prescott turning the ball over every game.
There’s so much to fix with the Cowboys at the moment, it’s hard to imagine they’ll be able to fix enough any time soon to turn things around.
San Francisco came into this game needing a win worse than Dallas. The Niners showed a grit the Cowboys don’t currently possess.
Tight end George Kittle manhandled the Cowboys’ secondary as he normally does. Just days after being released from a hospital with pneumonia, Deebo Samuel got behind the secondary for a 47-yard gain on the team’s first possession.
The Niners made big plays when it mattered.
The Cowboys made a few when it didn’t. The final score didn’t reflect how thoroughly this game got away from Dallas in the third quarter.
Dallas did take a 10-6 lead into the second half. But Purdy led a five-play, 60-yard touchdown drive to take the lead. After Prescott’s second interception of the evening, the Niners only needed to go 31 yards to find the end zone again.
The Cowboys responded with a three-and-out.
The Niners responded with a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to forge a 27-10 lead.
The Cowboys finished with a flurry, but it wasn’t enough. Dallas is now 3-4 with another road game in Atlanta next weekend.
“We’re disappointed,’’ McCarthy said. “Our men really had a good week of preparation. I thought there were areas of improvement.
“But still, we have a ton to work on.’’
Catch David Moore and Robert Wilonsky as they co-host Intentional Grounding on The Ticket (KTCK-AM 1310 and 96.7 FM) every Wednesday from 7-8 p.m. through the Super Bowl.
Twitter: @DavidMooreDMN
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