After watching the Pats and Eagles go down so easily, my one last hope was a loss by the Cowboys. It was time to get out the rosary beads, light a candle, rub a rabbit's foot...whatever I could to tempt the football gods to come down hard on the Cowboys. If I had to end the weekend with a Cowboy win I'd be disgusted with a lost weekend.
I'm debating in my head...wish they were playing in San Francisco and yet would love to see them lose at home. Ok, the Cowboys win the coin toss and defer to the second half. I'm just hoping for a good start from the 49ers. There they go down the field on 7 plays and 75 yards to score a touchdown. Ok, good start...just don't start exchanging points!
These are the moments when commercial breaks are killing me. No more Red Zone for the season so I can't get distracted. The game comes back, the Cowboys get the ball at their own 35-yard line and go 3 and out. This includes a Prescott incomplete pass and a sack! Nice!
After the Cowboys punt, the 49ers begin their drive starting at their own 31. They drive down the field in 9 plays and 23 yards which results in a 53-yard field goal. Not seven but I'll take three. All I know is that they have to keep the pressure on, don't let the Cowboys back in the game. They get the ball back starting at their own 9 after a holding penalty on the run back. Love the Cowboys getting penalties! After getting their first, first down the panic starts to set in after a 32-yard pass to Lamb. But wait, another penalty for holding! The next play is a short pass to Wilson who fumbles the ball out of bounds after trying to lateral it back to Pollard. They're going to have to punt again!
Again the 49ers drive down the field on a long drive (7:58, 12 plays, 56 yards) which results in another field goal - 13-0. I'm happy that they are getting points but keeping settling for field goals has me worried. In a game like this you only need the Cowboys to strike quickly and their back in the game.
Just as I feared!!! The Cowboys start their next series at their own 33. They go 9 plays and 67 yards to get their first touchdown. There weren't any big throws at the beginning of the drive but then Prescott hits Cooper for a 20 yard TD pass. Those types of passes are what I'm most worried about. It would only take a few of those passes and the Cowboys have got the lead.
Fortunately, the Niners struck back with a 52-yard field goal after a 5 play, 41-yard drive (16-7). The Cowboys move down the field but stall at the Niners' 49-yard line. A punt and three plays and the first half ends. Now I have to sit around or pace around knowing the Cowboys would get the ball to start the second half. The idle time gives my mind all kinds of time to conjure up an assortment of worst-case scenarios on how the Niners will blow the game.
In looking at the first-half stats, I thought two things - Niners had nearly twice the time of possession and the Cowboys had some critical penalties. If this trend could continue this way, especially with the killer penalties, this would work in the Niners' favor. This seemed to come true when on their first drive on third down the Cowboys had two penalties in a row. Gotta love the blundering Cowboys! This was followed by a Prescott sack for a loss of 6 yards. Now it was fourth and twenty! Great way to start the second half! But then a roughing call and the Cowboys had the ball back at their own 30. Here comes that dark cloud of doom on the horizon! This is where things begin to fall apart and the Cowboys get back in the game. I can just feel it! (Deep breaths now...this is the Eagles playing)
To my great joy, the Cowboys' drive stalls at their own 45, and they're forced to punt. Their first punt hits the scoreboard and lands at around the 25. Wait... the Cowboys get a do-over? It's the punter's own fault! Give me a break! Also, word comes down that Bosa is out of the game with a concussion. This is trouble for the 49ers' defense. The 49ers go nowhere and they punt the ball back to the Cowboys.
It only takes Prescott five plays to throw an interception and the 49ers take over at the Cowboys' 26-yard line. On the first play, Samuel goes all the way for a 26-yard touchdown (23-7). I'm feeling good that they scored seven but I'm still worried about Bosa being out.
Wow! 23-7! But wait there is still 5:50 left in the third quarter. Please! Please! 49ers don't let them back in the game! We get through the third period. However, on third and ten Garoppolo has Aiyuk wide open and misses him which results in a 49ers punt with 1:47 left in the 3rd. That play could have helped put away the game.
The Cowboys begin their drive at the end of the third and move into the fourth. Stop them here Niners!!! They finally are able to put an end to the drive and the Cowboys settle for a field goal (23-10). But this was after the fake punt on fourth and five. After that fake, I'm really beginning to worry. At this stage, I'm thinking....I just want a blowout! Don't make it close!
Next series, a pick by Brown gives the Cowboys the ball back to the 49ers 28-yard line. Oh no...my biggest fear was becoming reality! Five plays later, it's 23-17 with 8:02 left in the game!!! The 49ers go 9 plays taking 5:20 off the clock and punt the ball back to Dallas. The Cowboys fail on their next series, going for it on 4th and 11.
Ok...just start eating up the clock. Long sustained drive. Cowboys use up all of their time outs. Leave no time on the clock. Better yet...score some points! Fortunately, somewhat, the Cowboys continued their string of penalties which helped a little bit to sustain the drive. But not quite enough as the 49ers commit their own false start penalty which slows down their drive. Though statistically there were 4 plays that took 1:10, with the penalties there were 8 plays called. The last call, a 10-yard run by Samuel looks to give the 49ers a first down. Just as luck would have it, after an official review it was short and it resulted in a fourth down. Quaterback sneak...first down...yes!!!! Are you serious!!! False start - 5 yard penalty!!! Stinkin' Cowboys! Those refs just love the Cowboys!!! With 0:39 left the 49ers punted the ball into the end zone.
Here we go! The Cowboys begin at their own 20 with 0:32 left. First pass, 9 yards to Wilson, who laterals to Lamb for another 11 yards. Lamb goes out of bounds to stop the clock (0:24) at the their 40-yard line. Next play, Prescott to Pollard for 10 yards and goes out of bounds. Come on 49ers, cover the side lines!!! Next play, Prescott to Schultz for 10 yards and out of bounds again!!! COVER THE SIDELINES!!!! Fourteen seconds left, the 49ers call a time out and finally start to cover the sidelines. What does Prescott do? Oh man, don't let them score!!! NO OT!!! I'm dying here!!! The Cowboys come up to the line. What will they do? Two plays left? They're at the 49ers 41-yard line. The balls snapped and Dak decides to take off, he moves down to the San Francisco 24-yard line. Tick, tick, tick. By the time they get over the ball there is 0:0 left. The ball needs to be reset as there are 0:07 left when he goes down. By the time, the ref resets the ball and Dak attempts to spike there is no time left on the clock!!!! The Cowboys lose!!!!
OH! The Joy!!! They get that close and fail!!! As I sit back and begin to breathe again, I begin to wonder...maybe the Cowboys losing like this is even better than them getting blown out. They think they have a chance and then puff!!! It's all over. How 'bout those Cowboys!!! I'll just leave you with Stephen A's Top Five List of Cowboy Fans reaction to Cowboy's lost.