George Kittle scored three touchdowns, all from Brock Purdy passes, as the 49ers (5-0) got better of the Cowboys again, having knocked them out of the playoffs in tight games the past two seasons; Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott called it "the most humbling game I've ever been a part of"
Monday 9 October 2023 11:01, UK
Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers quickly turned the biggest challenge of their young season into dominance over the Dallas Cowboys with a 42-10 victory.
Purdy threw three of his four touchdown passes to George Kittle, while San Francisco's defense hounded Dak Prescott all night.
The Niners (5-0) knocked the Cowboys out of the playoffs in tight games the past two seasons, adding intrigue to this early-season match-up between perceived contenders. The rematch was not even close.
The Niners led 14-0 before the Cowboys got their initial first down of the night and were never really threatened on the way to matching a franchise record with their 15th straight regular-season win and earning their fifth 5-0 start.
Purdy calmly picked apart the league's stingiest defense to improve to 10-0 as a starter in the NFL and San Francisco's defense made life difficult on Prescott all night.
Prescott was sacked three times and heaved an interception into double coverage after Dallas fell behind 28-10 in the third quarter. He threw two more interceptions in the fourth quarter with his only highlight coming on a 26-yard TD pass to KaVontae Turpin in the second quarter. It was Dallas' most lopsided defeat since losing 49-17 to New Orleans in 2013.
Purdy again was nearly mistake free. A week after throwing only one incomplete pass in a win over Arizona, he repeatedly found openings downfield to Brandon Aiyuk, Deebo Samuel and especially Kittle.
Purdy finished 17 for 24 for 252 yards and has not thrown an interception all season. He connected on a 19-yard TD pass to Kittle on the opening drive, a 38-yarder early in the second quarter on a reverse flea-flicker and then a 10-yarder to put the game away in the third quarter.
Kittle became the first Niners player with three TD catches in a game since Vernon Davis in 2009. Purdy added a one-yard TD pass to Kyle Juszczyk in the fourth quarter and the rest of the game was merely garbage time with mostly back-ups.
The Niners took the opening kick and drove 75 yards in seven plays to score on a 19-yard pass from Purdy to Kittle to take the lead. San Francisco have four TDs and one field goal on the opening drive this season for a league-leading 31 points.
The 49ers were just as tough on defense early, holding Dallas to six yards in the first quarter and no first downs for more than 17 minutes.
Christian McCaffrey scored on a one-yard run in the second quarter after losing a fumble near the goal line earlier in the game. It was the 14th straight game he has scored a TD in the regular season or playoffs. The only players in NFL history with longer streaks are Lenny Moore (17 games), OJ Simpson (15) and John Riggins (15).
Coach Kyle Shanahan said the Niners had the reverse flea-flicker in the game plan for a while, but had only used it once in the NFC title game last year when McCaffrey was the quarterback on the play. They did a walkthrough of the play this week that started with a hand-off to McCaffrey, who handed to Samuel on a reverse before the flea-flicker to Purdy.
Shanahan got encouragement from watching Detroit score on a version of the play in the afternoon.
San Francisco 49ers
Dallas Cowboys
49ers left tackle Trent Williams said: "It felt good, especially going against the No 1 defense in the league. Obviously, that's a big test for Week 5 of the year. I think we pass that test with flying colours. But we're going to get tested again."
49ers coach Kyle Shanahan added: "I knew it was our biggest game so far this year as far as nationally and just media wise and the hype. Sometimes you worry your team can get too up for stuff, they were so locked in all week. They didn't make too big a deal of this game and were ready to go."
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott said: "Didn't see it coming. Put everything into this, and got punched in the mouth. It was humbling a couple weeks ago against Arizona. But this may be the most humbling game I've ever been a part of."
Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons added: "You have to learn how to take a punch. We got punched in the face tonight and that's just the reality of it. I'm not shying from it. We got beat up in all phases. And that's the reality."
The 49ers next travel to face the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, while the Dallas Cowboys are also on the road against the Los Angeles Chargers, live on Sky Sports NFL on Tuesday October 17 at 1.15am.
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