Cowboys vs. 49ers: The good, bad and ugly from San Francisco’s 40-10 loss
By Peter Panacy
The Ugly
Again, where to start?
San Francisco certainly didn’t help its efforts in the time-of-possession battle — losing this aspect 32:50 to 27:10 — seeing a lot of its offensive minutes take place in the fourth quarter when Dallas had long since removed its starters.
And there was plenty of finger-pointing going on as well, according to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Matt Maiocco:
Some unrest among the #49ers players. Ray-Ray Armstrong and Jaquiski Tartt appeared to be jawing at each other on the field and bench.
— Matt Maiocco (@MaioccoNBCS) October 22, 2017
Ugly.
Fumblitis
Any momentum the 49ers might have had entering this contest was quickly lost after the Cowboys’ first punt of the game.
Return man Trent Taylor fumbled, leading to a Dallas recovery and quick touchdown. And this was just the first of four fumbles San Francisco had during the course of the game, three of which were grabbed by Dallas’ defense.
Another one of those was on a key red-zone drive for the 49ers, which thwarted any chances the Niners might have had for staging a comeback.
Self-inflicted wounds throughout.
Run Defense
The 49ers entered Week 7 allowing an average of just 3.4 yards per rush. That was good for fourth best in the NFL, although that figure certainly changes after this game.
Granted, squaring off against Cowboys tailback Ezekiel Elliott makes for a tough challenge. But remember those gaudy yardage totals he had? Well, he averaged 5.7 yards per play paired with a net Cowboys effort of 6.2 yards per carry.
It’s all too reminiscent of the 2016 Niners, who allowed a league-high 4.8 yards per attempt.
You know it’s bad when backup runner Rod Smith is able to rip off a 45-yard gain with backup run blockers supporting him against San Francisco’s first-team defense.
Pass Protection
The 49ers have a ton of offensive issues, but perhaps no bigger one exists outside of the offensive line. Especially the interior positions.
Quarterback C.J. Beathard was sacked five times for 48 yards. And while one could argue two of those fell on his shoulders, the fact he was under pressure almost constantly from the start speaks about how poorly San Francisco’s pass blockers performed.
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Center Daniel Kilgore has had his issues, as has left guard Laken Tomlinson. But like the situation at cornerback, the 49ers don’t exactly have options to make upgrades.
Heck, even left tackle Joe Staley was beat for a sack that caused a fumble. And right tackle Trent Brown suffered a concussion late in the game, further putting this unit in doubt.
Still winless over seven games, the 49ers’ lives won’t get any easier this upcoming week, traveling to Philadelphia to take on the NFC East-leading Eagles.
Next: Cowboys vs. 49ers: The good, bad and ugly from San Francisco's 40-10 loss
Perhaps this lopsided loss winds up being a learning experience, but that’s about the only hopeful positive takeaway.