ARLINGTON, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys came out victorious 41-33 in week 15 against the San Francisco 49ers at home and improve to a 5-9 record. Beating San Francisco gave the Cowboys their first win streak of 2020. Once again, Dallas received early Christmas gifts in the form of forced turnovers.
The Cowboys have totaled seven takeaways in the past two games that have contributed to back-to-back wins. The 49ers’ four turnovers turned into 24 points for the Cowboys on Sunday. Dallas created two fumbles and two interceptions that shifted the momentum throughout the ballgame. Finally, the silver and blue were able to consistently take advantage of a short field.
Dallas Takeaways
In the first quarter, Dorance Armstrong knocked the ball out of Richie James’ hands on a punt return and landed on it to put the Cowboys’ offense on the field. After a successful Tony Pollard drive, he capped it off by lunging into the end zone to give Dallas an early 7-0 lead.
On the 49ers’ next series, DeMarcus Lawrence came flying off the edge to strip out the ball and sack quarterback Nick Mullens, recovered by Aldon Smith to put Dallas at San Francisco’s 24-yard line. Several plays later, Andy Dalton threw a dart to Michael Gallup in the back of the end zone to make it a 14-0 ballgame.
In the fourth quarter, the Dallas defense struck again. Donovan Wilson, who had missed the previous two games with a groin injury, perfectly tracked the football and made a diving grab in front of Reed to tally his first career interception. He certainly made his presence known in his first game back from injury. After heavy pressure in the pocket and several incompletions to Noah Brown, Greg Zuerlein finished the drive with a 46-yard field goal.
Two possessions later for San Francisco, Mullens threw a pass intended for Aiyuk but Anthony Brown came away with the football. Two plays later, Tony Pollard raced down the field on a 40-yard run for a touchdown to seal the victory. The second year running back showed great patience and acceleration on the run to extend Dallas’ lead. CeeDee Lamb put the nail in the coffin with a touchdown return off an onside kick just minutes later.
With a Cowboys’ win and Washington loss, Dallas is one game away from first place in the NFC East. Go figure. The Team’s hopes are still alive for the time being. Here are a couple more thoughts from the matchup against San Francisco.
Tony Pollard’s Arrival
With Ezekiel Elliott’s dwindling numbers (3.9 yards per carry) this season and discussed “regression,” Cowboys fans have been pining for Tony Pollard to receive a larger role. Mike McCarthy had said earlier in the week that he looked for Elliott to play, but after he warmed up pre-game, Elliott was listed as inactive. The calf contusion still clearly bothering him, enough to sideline Elliott for the first time in his career due to injury. Pollard got off to a solid start with 61 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter, showcasing his dynamic ability as a pass-catcher out of the flat. He stalled for a good portion of the ballgame with an inefficient run game until the big run in the fourth when it mattered the most. He finished with 132 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns. Sure, Elliott is the every-down back and better runner through tackles, but Pollard is more explosive and the better threat in the passing game on screens along the perimeter. He made defenders miss and proved his worth.
Injuries
The Cowboys and 49ers entered the game with two of the most decimated rosters due to injury and Dallas left with several more. Safety Xavier Woods left with a chest injury and did not return. Both linebacker Leighton Vander Esch and defensive tackle Antwaun Woods did not return with ankle injuries. Wide receiver Michael Gallup was ruled out with a hip injury to tack on to the list. Dallas got several secondary players back for the week 15 matchup that made big impacts including Chidobe Awuzie, Donovan Wilson, and Anthony Brown. Now, the Cowboys will have to do some more shuffling.
