The 49ers defense came to play (and then some) on Sunday Night Football against Dak Prescott and the Cowboys.
The Dallas Cowboys figured to be the toughest offensive challenge the 4-0 San Francisco 49ers have yet faced this season.
Particularly with quarterback Dak Prescott and Co. looking to avenge back-to-back playoff losses to the Niners in the previous two postseasons.
Despite Prescott's wish to get off to a hot start against San Francisco, it was the 49ers who struck first via a touchdown pass from quarterback Brock Purdy to tight end George Kittle to make things 7-0 on the opening drive of the game.
The Niners defense, meanwhile, absolutely clamped down on Dallas' offense over the first quarter.
49ers defense smothering Dak Prescott and the Cowboys in 1st quarter
The Cowboys' first two drives went a whopping 3-and-out, and defensive tackle Arik Armstead and All-Pro edge Nick Bosa ensured the second drive didn't amount to much of anything by pulling down Prescott for a combined sack:
Third down takedown! @nbsmallerbear & @arikarmstead combine for the sack 💪
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) October 9, 2023
📺 #DALvsSF on NBC
📱 NFL+ // https://t.co/KTh0i4oaLh pic.twitter.com/1OOWPa1pKl
Read more: Why are the Niners and Cowboys such big rivals?
Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir ensured one pass down the left side fell incomplete, while linebacker Dre Greenlaw picked up an aggressive tackle for a loss.
At no point did it appear as if Prescott was comfortable within the pocket either.
By the end of the first quarter, Dallas had a mere 2 net yards on back-to-back offensive drives, which combined for only six snaps.
On the Cowboys' seventh snap, linebacker Fred Warner forced a fumble by Cowboys running back Tony Pollard, which was recovered by defensive tackle Kevin Givens for the Niners' first turnover of the game.
And that led to Dallas having a mere 2:51 of possession time in the first quarter. The rest belonged to San Francisco.