Coach Marlier's NFL NFC East Corner: Featuring the Dallas Cowboys: Game Breakdown of Week 8

San Francisco 49ers hosting Dallas Cowboys

NBC SNF 7:15 PM 10-27-24

Pro Analytics Coach Marlier’s NFL Game Unit Scouting Game Breakdown Notes

Dallas Offense

First Half

Key Notes: Entering the game Dallas was last in the NFL in Red Zone Efficiency and last in Run Offense in the NFL. Starting RB Dowdle ill pregame being made inactive. Rotation featuring RB Elliot and RB Cook in Week 8.

Dallas opens with IP with RB Elliot for 7 yards. WR Lamb for 4-yard reception for FD to Right Boundary conversion. Toss to RB Elliot for TFL in mesh point being destroyed by 49ers DL. WR Lamb Screen concept to Left Boundary for 5 yards. On 3rd and 5, Dallas conservative running IP with RB Luepke for 0 yards with OL not setting the LOS at the POA on Run Offense with great 49ers interior DL push inside. Dallas Punt.

TE Ferguson opens with a 2-yard reception to the Flat. RB Cooks for 10-yard reception to the seam for FD Conversion. RB Cooks IP for 1 yard. WR Lamb to Right Boundary on reception for 9 yards for FD Conversion. DE Bosa off Speed Rush destroyed RT Steele in not getting out of his stance for a QBH where QB Prescott could not step into his throw for WR Turpin in 1-1 coverage down Left Boundary with 49ers Safety help at the top. INT on QB Prescott underthrow. 49er’s ball. Dallas has -7 Turnover Ratio. 3rd worse in NFL.

WR Lamb on Curl to Right Boundary for 5 yards. LT Guyton and TE Ferguson Hold negated WR Tolbert FD pass completion for FD. RB Elliot on Draw for 4 yards inside. Pitch to WR Turpin to Right Boundary for FD Conversion and fumble by WR Turpin. Recovered by Dallas. RB Cooks on IP back-to-back plays for runs of 4 and 2. WR Lamb off crossing route for FD Conversion. RB Elliot FD Conversion for 11 yards off IP. Elliot had longest run of the season as noted. QB Prescott sacked off DE Bosa Speed Rush beating RT Steele. RB Elliot IP for 4 yards. TE Ferguson down the Seam on reception for FD Conversion. TE Schoonmaker to EZ on incompletion with DB Ward PI Call. Ball at 49er 1 yard line. RB Elliot IP for TD. 7-3 Dallas.

WR Lamb on out to Left Flat for FD Conversion. RB Elliot stuffed at POA for no gain. TE Ferguson for 6 yards. QB Prescott on scramble on 4X0 Form Strong Left to WR Tolbert for 28-yard chunk play. WR Lamb for 3 yards to the Seam on reception. TE Spann-Ford TD PBU. TE Ferguson Flat Pass reception and fumble. Dallas Recovery by TE Ferguson. Dallas FG. Dallas 10-3.

WR Tolbert Curl reception for 7 yards. QB Prescott with overthrow of TE Ferguson to Right Boundary. QBH on QB Prescott. 3 and out with 54 seconds left till halftime. Punt Dallas.

Dallas takes possession off 49er Punt. Kneel Down by Dallas.

Halftime 10-6 Dallas.

Second Half

Game Notes: Dallas being penalized 3 times off KO Returns adversely affecting field position.

TE Ferguson reception to Flat for no gain. WR Lamb to Flat to Right Boundary for 6 yards. WR Lamb initially open breaking free at his release point off LOS with QB Prescott on late read/underthrow down left boundary with DB Lenoir crossing the face of WR Lamb for INT. 49ers ball off turnover by Dallas.

Dallas having poor pass protection of QB Prescott. RB Elliot IP for 6 yards. TE Ferguson Flat Pass incomplete. QB Prescott scramble. Failed conversion. 3 and out. Punt Dallas.

*The Dallas Offense has 16 offensive yards in the Third Quarter against the 49er Defense.

RB Cooks IP for 5 yards. RB Cooks IP for 1 yard. QB Prescott sacked. 3 and out. Dallas Punt.

RB Elliot IP for 1 yard. RB Elliot off screen pass to Right Flat for 3 yards. DB Ward PI against WR Tolbert for FD. Dallas going up Tempo pushing ball now with success. QB Prescott incomplete to Lamb not on same page in locating the ball behind him. TE Ferguson on Flat checkdown. Dallas on 4th down converts with WR Turpin. WR Tolbert for 9 yards on reception. WR Lamb on out pattern to Right Boundary for 5 yards. RB Elliot TFL for -2 yards. WR Lamb runs Corner Route TD off 49ers Blown Coverage uncontested. 27-17 49ers.

RB Elliot on lateral pass for no gain. Dallas goes up tempo pushing the ball with WR Lamb on three straight passes for, 20, 30, and 20 for an uncontested TD in the RZ by WR Lamb. 4 plays 70-yard Drive. 30-24 49ers. 3:32 left in 4th Quarter.

Dallas final drive to win game. QB Prescott threw pass into triple coverage downfield. DB Ward dropped INT opportunity. Incomplete to TE Ferguson out of bounds. WR Turpin failed to secure bomb pass in his hands from QB Prescott. WR Brooks double covered for drive ending TOD. 4 and out. 49er ball. ?

Dallas Defense

First Half

Dallas opening with 6-man DL front. WR Samual playing RB running Stretch for 1 yard. WR Pearsall down the seam for 8 yards. WR Samual playing RB on what appeared to be a Wheel Route down the Right Boundary beating Dallas LB Kendricks for 47-yard completion chunk play. Drive stalls. 49ers FG. 3-0 49ers.

RB Mason for 6 yards. Injured. Shoulder aggravation. Dallas varying fronts with 61, 42, and 70 playing some man coverages. Light at Level 2 at LB. TE Kittle for 15 yards for FD Conversion. Drive stalls off 70 Front Blitz with incompletion to TE Kittle. 49ers Punt.

WR Samual for major chunk play TD reception with unchecked YAC due to Dallas blown coverage negated by 49er Holding call. WR Pearsall down the Seam for 11 yards. RB Mason for 4 yards. WR Pearsall running Out Pattern for FD down the Right Boundary. Bubble Screen concepts to WR Samual continue in the Flat. RB Mason out of I-Form for 4 yards. Edge Contain is solid with great rally to the ball by the Dallas Defense. TOD by 49ers on 4th and 3 on incompletion to WR Samual. Dallas ball.

RB Mason officially out of the game with shoulder aggravation. RB Guerendo (4.33 40) comes into the game and rips off gains of 20 and 15 yards down the A-gap in 49er Run Offense in IP untouched and unchecked at the first and second level. RB Guerendo third successive chunk play off Flat Toss Left negated by TE Kittle Hold. WR Samual Bubble screen concept to Flat incomplete. Dallas pre snap in 80 Front with overload at A-Gap. Multiple Bail into zone down seam at snap into true 50 Front with TE Kittle on reception to Right Boundary short on failed Third Down Conversion. FG 49ers. 10-6 Dallas.

41 Front Dallas. QB Purdy on scramble for FD run conversion. TE Kittle on 30-yard chunk play reception with S Wilson playing off with soft coverage in a mismatch. QB Purdy fumble. 49ers recovery by QB Purdy. Drive stalls. Punt 49ers.

Second Half

Game Notes: Dallas ST Aubrey opens up with a major “Target Zone” penalty in being short on his kick. 49ers ball on their 40.

RB Guerendo for no gain. QB Purdy off scramble for 9 yards on run on poor Dallas contain in the pocket. (12 men on the field by Dallas declined) TE Kittle on LOS release in mismatch with S Wilson for 43-yard crossing route chunk play to Dallas 3-yard line. RB Guerendo IP for TD. 49ers 13-10.

RB Guerendo for 11-yard reception. Two consecutive bubble screens to WR Samual to the right and left Flats for gains of 3 and 4 yards. QB Purdy scramble with no Dallas edge contain in space for FD Conversion. Goal to Goal in RZ. WR Samual to Right Boundary to 3-yard line. Uncontested TD by TE Kittle with S Wilson appearing to be picked by WR Conelly in EZ with the penalty call being removed against WR Conelly for a 49ers TD. 20-10 49ers.

*49ers appear too physical for Dallas Defense. 17 unanswered points by Dallas since second quarter.

Dallas opens with 43 Front. RB Guerendo 4 yards to Flat. 16 yards on QB Purdy keeper with no LB contain in space. TE Kittle on Chunk Crossing pattern off LOS of S Wilson and LB Kendricks bracketing attempt to double cover TE Kittle. Too much speed for Dallas Defense in not being able to get off the field. WR Samual off crossing pattern for FD Conversion. QB Purdy off quick snap for TD off QB Draw. 27-10 49ers.

*The 49ers Offense has 158 yards against the Dallas Defense in the Third Quarter. 21 unanswered points by Dallas and three TD’s on consecutive offensive drives by the 49ers in the Third Quarter.

RB Guerendo 9 yards IP. Drive stalls with DB Diggs attacking the Flat off QB Purdy Scramble in DB Diggs tipping the pass for a PBU in DE Golston dropping the tipped pass for a missed INT opportunity. Punt 49ers.

RB Guerendo toss right for 4 yards. WR Pearsall for a 39-yard chunk play off sweep with no Dallas contain in space. Drive stalls. FG 49ers. 30-17 49ers.

*WR Samual out of the game due to Rib Injury. QB Purdy off scramble for 6 yards. QB Purdy sacked off LB Overshown Right Defensive Edge Speed Rush with RB Guerendo missing chip block. Drive stalls. 49er Punt.

RB Guerendo IP for 4 yards. RB Guerendo IP for 3 yards. RB Guerendo bounce out to Dallas 2-yard line. 49er Kneel Down.

30-24 49ers. End of game.

Dallas Special Teams

The Dallas KO return game was afflicted by untimely penalties that hurt filed position in aiding the 49ers. K Aubrey was perfect going 3/3 on PATS and 1/1 on FG’s.

I have reviewed the game log statistics. Source profootballreference.com.

Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers - October 27th, 2024 | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Offensively

The Dallas Run Offense only compiled 2.9 yards a carry on 17 attempts. The 49ers Run Offense compiled 6.2 yards a carry on 36 attempts. QB Prescott had -1 rushing while QB Purdy had 56 yards rushing. The Dallas OL did not control the LOS in their Run Offense.

The Dallas Passing Offense was comparable in pass completion percentages at 66% to the 49ers Passing Offense at 70%. The biggest difference was the explosive play of the 49ers receiving corp in the passing game. Dallas was limited in explosive plays until the 4th Quarter with WR Lamb as production at the number 2 Dallas receiving position was only 3/44 by WR Tolbert. TE Ferguson only produced 6 receptions for 23 yards.

The Dallas 3rd Down percentage was 33% (4/12) vs the 49ers being 50% (8/16).

The Dallas Offense was 50% on 4th Down. (1/2) The 49ers Offense was 0/1 on 4th Down.

Dallas TOP was 26:48. 49ers TOP was 33:12.

Coach Marlier Reasoning: The Dallas offense could not control the LOS in losing the TO ratio (-2) in not establishing the running game in sustaining drives in being relegated to the short passing game mainly in not stretching the field in not making enough explosive game changing plays to sustain their halftime lead in letting the game slip away in the 3rd Quarter due to the Offense only producing 16 yards with several 3 and outs in scoring no points until the 4th Quarter. Result 49ers Win. ?

Defensively

The Dallas Defense produced 1 PBU, 2 Sacks, 2 QBHs, 1 TFL and 0 TO’s at a -2 TO Ratio.

The 49ers Defense produced 4 PBU’s, 2 sacks, 8 QBH’s, 3 TFL’s and 2 TO’s.

Coach Marlier Reasoning: In essence, the Dallas DL and LB play did not control the LOS in giving up 223 yards of 49er Run Offense with RB Guerendo (62), QB Purdy (47) and WR Pearsall (39) amassing 148 rushing yards before contact (YBC) at the POA. Matchup problems between TE Kittle and S Wilson in giving up chunk yardage was a major matchup problem in the Dallas Pass Defense. 49er Passing Game excelled at a clip of 70% completion rate. The games major turning point was the 3rd Quarter when the Dallas Offense went cold with the 49ers Offense scoring 21 points on three TD’s. Result Win 49ers.

Other notes: Dallas Offensive Player of the game is WR Lamb with 13 receptions 146 yards and 2 TD’s. Dallas Defensive Player of the game LB Overshown with a Sack, QBH, 8 tackles and 1 TFL.