ARLINGTON, Texas – The Cowboys won their first back-to-back games of the season and put up a season-high 41 points. There were turnovers, big plays, kickoff returns and touchdowns from start to finish.
But here are the five plays you can't forget about that played a big factor in the outcome.
Penalty on SF first possession – On the first drive for the 49ers, they had third-and-1 at their own 34-yard line, but a false start penalty on tight end Ross Dwelley pushed them back 5 yards. The next play was an incomplete pass that led to a punt. The Cowboys weren't able to capitalize on that series, but the penalty led to a three-and-out and gave the defense some much-needed confidence on the opening series.
Cowboys benefit from own penalty – For a moment, it appeared the Cowboys had made another blunder on special teams when rookie Sewo Olonilula was flagged for an illegal formation on a first-quarter punt that was downed by the Cowboys at the 1-yard line. The 49ers made the Cowboys punt again and it appeared the ball would be around the 25 after the return, but this time the Cowboys forced a fumble. Dorance Armstrong ripped the ball out and Dallas took over at the 49ers' 22-yard line. Five plays later, it was 7-0 Cowboys.
49ers stuffed at the 1 – In the third quarter, the Cowboys led 17-14 but the 49ers were in scoring position. After a Jeff Wilson gain of 9 yards to the 23, the 49ers went to Wilson again on third down, but he was stopped for no gain and it led to a game-tying field goal. That kept the Cowboys with the momentum and led to a touchdown on the next drive.
Scramble pass to Lamb – When a quarterback rolls out of the pocket, it usually leads to a throw-away pass. This time, on a third-and-7 at their own 43, Andy Dalton kept the play alive and found CeeDee Lamb down the right sideline for a huge 45-yard completion that flipped the field position. Instead of having to punt, the Cowboys were in the red zone and scored the next play on a pass to Dalton Schultz.
Punt pins 49ers back to the 2 – With the game tied at 24, the Cowboys were forced to punt early in the fourth quarter, but Hunter Niswander was able to bounce the ball at the 2-yard line, downed by Cedrick Wilson. That pinned San Francisco deep in its own territory and forced the 49ers to pass out of it. What occurred next was an interception by Donovan Wilson that led to a field goal and a 27-24 lead.
--------------------------------------------
The Cowboys will take on the Philadelphia Eagles in their last home game of the regular season on Sunday, Dec. 27 at 3:25 p.m. A limited number of tickets are on sale now. Get yours now before they sell out!
Details on all of the health and safety procedures you can expect at AT&T Stadium can be viewed at www.DallasCowboys.com/safestadium.
