Winners, losers as 49ers outlast Cowboys 30-24 on Sunday Night Football originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
The San Francisco 49ers made it nervy, but they held on for a crucial win to move to 4-4.
San Francisco beat the Dallas Cowboys 30-24 in Week 8 of the Sunday Night Football, with the latter falling to 3-4 coming off a bye week.
Dallas led at halftime with a narrow 10-6 advantage, then San Francisco showed its offensive potential in the third quarter with 21 unanswered points.
But the 49ers, who blew two double-digit leads in losses to the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals already this season, left it late once again as Dallas tried to mount a comeback but fell short, failing to pick up a single yard on its final drive.
Let’s analyze the game further with winners and losers:
WINNER: George Kittle, 49ers
Tight ends across the NFL starred on National Tight Ends Day. So, naturally, the founder of the day starred himself under the lights.
Kittle logged six receptions on seven targets for 128 yards and a score, with his long going for 43. It was a vintage Kittle night as whenever he was targeted, a big play just felt inevitable. He also has a good track record versus Dallas.
Kittle has enjoyed a strong start to the season and will continue to be imperative for an offense missing several key players.
LOSER: Dak Prescott, Cowboys
Prescott helped his numbers in the fourth quarter with the comeback attempt, but he wasn’t anywhere near a $60 million quarterback prior to that.
He finished the game completing 25 of 38 passes for 243 yards, two touchdowns and two picks. His second pick, caught by Deommodore Lenoir, early in the third quarter changed the tide of the game and San Francisco didn’t look back.
The Cowboys as a whole have multiple glaring flaws so not everything is Prescott’s fault, but the veteran also isn’t helping himself in justifying his worth.
WINNER: Isaac Guerendo, 49ers
The 49ers once again were dealt an injury blow when Jordan Mason went down relatively early on, putting rookie running back Guerendo in the main frame.
Guerendo’s touches have increased in recent weeks with Mason’s injury situations, and the fourth rounder did his part, rushing for 85 yards on 14 carries (6.1 average) and a touchdown.
He could’ve added another touchdown to seal the score in the final seconds, but opted to, once again, slide early to kneel out the remaining time. A former wideout in his early college days, he also caught three passes for 17 yards.
LOSER: Cowboys’ season is in jeopardy
There’s not much room for error with the Cowboys currently 3-4, third in the NFC East. Last year’s No. 2 seed in the conference, they currently are behind the 6-2 Washington Commanders and 5-2 Philadelphia Eagles.
To make matters worse, their upcoming schedule does not get any easier. Their next four games are at the Atlanta Falcons, home to the Eagles and Houston Texans then away to the Commanders.
Games aren’t played on paper, but the Cowboys are facing the potential reality of being 3-8 in a month’s time. Things have to change quickly if Dallas wants to be proactive about its season.
WINNER: Ricky Pearsall, 49ers
While the 49ers showed improvements in scoring red-zone touchdowns and limiting third-down conversions on defense, arguably more important was the impact rookie wideout Pearsall showed he could bring.
With Brandon Aiyuk sidelined for the season and Deebo Samuels being in and out of the lineup due to injuries, Pearsall showed some encouraging potential on his few touches.
He caught all four targets for 38 yards, while also logging a 39-yard rush late in the game.
How he fares with increased reps will be determined later on, but he’s proving to Kyle Shanahan he’s capable of having a more trusted role among numerous injuries.
