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SANTA CLARA, Calif. — It was impossible to know ahead of kickoff which of these teams were more desperate for a win. True enough, the San Francisco 49ers were the ones with a sub-.500 record, sitting at 3-4 on the year, while the Dallas Cowboys were entering the matchup at 3-3, but the latter suffered a devastatingly embarrassing loss at home before entering the bye week to look in the mirror.
And let's be honest here, the Cowboys desperately wanted to grab a win against the 49ers, all other variables notwithstanding, given how Kyle Shanahan has been a nightmare for them over the previous three outings.
Things were promising for Dallas in that they took a 10-6 lead into halftime, but the wheels began to rattle and fall off over the remaining two quarters — the following players doing what they could to try and keep the lug nuts in place.
[This list is unranked.]
Chauncey Golston, DE
Well hello there, Mr. Golston, and how do you do? This marks the second time since the Cowboys lost Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence that Golston has made his way to my list of gamebreakers, and to say it's well-earned is an understatement. The young pass rusher was good enough for me to label the third 49ers' offensive drive as "The Golston Show", after seeing him deliver not one, not two, but three stops against the run to force a fourth down that the 49ers couldn't convert. Golston nearly had an interception as well, showing he came to play big boy ball in Santa Clara.
Ezekiel Elliott, RB
For all of the talk about Elliott's role, or lack thereof, over the past several games, it sure did look defined against the 49ers. The former two-time NFL rushing champ was on a mission, averaging 4.8 yards per carry at the half on six carries and scoring his second rushing touchdown of the season when the Cowboys needed a short-yardage bully to do the job on their third offensive drive of the game. And when he burst forward for an 11-yard gain afterward, pushing through would-be tackles in the process, you just knew he meant business.
Jake Ferguson, WR
Speaking of being a bully, that's precisely what Ferguson was on Sunday night. The Pro Bowler was not only reeling in nearly everything that was thrown his way, but it was what he consistently did thereafter that impressed heavily. He was responsible for rattling off plenty of yards after the catch and that included running both around and through defenders, and he also deleted his lone mistake, a fumble in the second quarter, by immediately recovering it; and despite three 49ers being near it.
CeeDee Lamb, WR
It was clear the gameplan was to get the ball into Lamb's hands early and often, and it was a successful one to begin the game. He was paramount in helping the Cowboys move the chains and the ball downfield over the course of the first two quarters, but his eight catches on 10 targets for 54 yards were much the same at the end of the third quarter as before that quarter began. His ineffectiveness wasn't his fault against the 49ers, however, and was mostly attributed to Dak Prescott going ice cold after halftime — the two heating back up in the fourth quarter, though too late to change the outcome of this game.
Amani Oruwariye, CB
It was yet another week without the return of DaRon Bland, and Caelen Carson was ruled inactive for a fourth outing with a shoulder injury. That again thrust Oruwariye onto the main stage opposite Trevon Diggs and he might've played his best game thus far, which is saying something when you factor in how mostly solid/impressive he's been in his short time in Dallas. Against the 49ers, he was definitive in his tackling and fairly sticky in his coverage. He wasn't perfect, but he was definitely a bright spot.
DeMarvion Overshown, LB
Overshown scratched and clawed until his fingernails were probably chipped and filled with blood. He'd lead the team in tackles alongside Oruwariye, and delivered in an even bigger capacity when the exhausted defense needed him most. Late in the fourth quarter, with the Cowboys having fought back to a mere 30-24 deficit with less than five minutes remaining in the game, Overshown teleported off of the edge to take Purdy down for a sack that forced an eventual punt. The Cowboys' offense couldn't capitalize with a comeback win, but Overshown did give them an opportunity.
