49ers settling for field goals vs. Cowboys may haunt them late

The San Francisco 49ers have a lead at halftime vs, the Dallas Cowboys, but settling for field goals early may haunt them at end of game.

The San Francisco 49ers lead the Dallas Cowboys 16-7 at halftime, but it could be much worse if some of the offensive drives ended in seven points, instead of three.  Robbie Gould is a perfect 3-of-3 on field-goal attempts, with two of them coming from beyond 50 yards.

The Niners are moving the ball at will, but unsuccessful third-down conversions have forced them into three points. Head coach Kyle Shanahan is calling a beautiful game, offensively, focusing on the run game to keep the chains moving.

If the Niners want to sustain drives, they will have to get tight end George Kittle more involved in the game plan.

The best thing the red and gold have going for them is that they control the time of possession. If the explosive Cowboys don’t have many opportunities for big plays, they will be forced to go for more home runs.

Defensively, the 49ers have eliminated the big plays from quarterback Dak Prescott and Co. Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper was wide open on the Cowboys’ only touchdown, but other than that, the defense has kept them at bay.

How 49ers increase second-half lead vs. Cowboys

In the second half, look for San Francisco to use more play-action passes now that the running game has been established. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk is having his way with Cowboys’ defenders, and you can expect quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to look his way more often.

For the Cowboys, they will shift to a more pass-oriented offense, as they feel pressured to score every possession. The game may come down to turnovers and time-of-possession.

The 49ers will need to punch in a few more touchdowns if they want to advance to the second round.

And it won’t be easy with EDGE Nick Bosa out for the rest of the game on the defensive side of the ball either.