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The 49ers’ Sunday night showdown with the Cowboys was expected to be a hotly contested prime-time matchup.
Instead, it was no match.
The 49ers scored early and often, beating Dallas 42-10 and making clear that they are the class of the NFC.
Brock Purdy threw four touchdown passes, three of which went to George Kittle, and the defense shut down Dallas, picking off Dak Prescott three times and allowing just eight first downs and 197 yards. Jordan Mason led the 49ers with 69 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries as he played much of the fourth quarter in the blowout.
The 49ers moved to 5-0 on the season, matching the Philadelphia Eagles as the only undefeated teams left in the NFL.
Here’s what coach Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers had to say after the win.
Kyle Shanahan
On Purdy:
He was really good. Everybody was pretty good. Thought he missed one throw throughout the day, from what it seemed like, just a little behind BA in the first quarter one and everything else seemed pretty flawless. He did a great job versus a real good pass rush, some tight coverages. (The line) gave him some time, and also the guys made a lot of plays, too.
On the trick play:
We just walked through it once. It’s been in for a while. We ran it in the NFC Championship last year, didn’t look as good. That was when Christian was at quarterback, it was second half. Detroit ran it earlier in the day and they scored to LaPorta on it.
On the week:
I was real excited about us this week. I knew it was our biggest game so far this year as far as nationally and just media-wise and the hype. Sometimes you get worried your team might get too up for stuff. Just watching them all Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, they were so locked in all week, didn’t make too big of a deal of this game. They seemed so ready to go.
On the performance:
I thought this was our best game with all three phases.
On neutralizing Micah Parsons:
You gotta stay balanced, you gotta mix things up. I thought we had some big plays where you didn’t have to hold onto it too long.
On Purdy coming back from last year’s game vs: Cowboys:
That was probably his worst game — not to be confused with bad, but just comparing to the others … I didn’t sense that at all. He was extremely poised and got down there, he hit all the stuff right away and didn’t return it over, most importantly.
On the defense:
I think our defense has been unbelievable here for a while, and they’ve been unbelievable so far this year, but our guys definitely haven’t been satisfied. They feel like we can get a lot better. I feel like we’re gonna get better throughout the year, too. But today was pretty darn good. Felt the offense felt similar. We had a real good week last week, but we felt our team hadn’t played a complete game yet and it looked like that today.
On the 5-0 start:
It’s exciting and all this is fun, but I’ve been in the NFL way too long, been 5-0 and haven’t made the playoffs before … 5-0 feels good, but it means nothing until you get to the end.
On Jordan Mason:
Every time he gets out there and gets an opportunity, he looks like it, and to me that’s all you can go off in this league, how does the film look.
Fred Warner
On the performance:
We see the talent in the room and what our potential is, but it’s about doing, you know, week in and week out. To do it in this game on this stage against a really good football team, I mean, it really means a lot.
On whether they heard chatter about Cowboys’ defense:
I guess the political answer would be ‘We don’t hear that stuff’ but I mean, being the competitor I am, of course I wanted us to be the top defense tonight, and I think we did that.
On Defensive Player of the Year:
If they put me in that conversation, great. To me, I know what I have to contribute to this team. I know the caliber of player I am. I don’t need anybody else’s recognition or people to tell me how great I am. I want to be the best person I can, be the best player I can for my teammates.
On the team’s preparation:
Everybody was locked in. I’m really confident in our team, our leadership, the way we operate day in and day out. It’s not luck, right? I think these things happen for a reason.
Christian McCaffrey
On the win:
You never know, you just prepare the best you can each week. Such a fun win to be a part of, man, when you have so many guys who played so well and, man, the defense played lights-out. That’s a good defense and to win like that is a testament to the character of this team and how well we can play.
On the trick play TD after his fumble:
A dumb play, I fumbled on the 1 like an idiot and the defense did a great job having my back. Come back and score the next play, that makes me feel really good.
On going 5-0:
It means something because being 5-0 was important to us. Winning every week is important because we know we can.
On Kittle:
He’s somebody who is a very memorable locker room player, someone that if you play with him, you’re really lucky.
Nick Bosa
On the defense:
I think the back end did their thing tonight. Not that they haven’t been doing it, but they stepped it up even more.
On the strength of win:
For our d-linemen to get pulled, I think five minutes left in the third quarter against a team like that shows that we’re kind of on a different level this year.
On Randy Gregory:
He’s an $80 million defensive end who we got for a bargain, so I could get even better for us.
On Brock being the last pick in the draft:
It blows my mind, but I’m extremely, extremely happy that he’s here.
On Fred Warner:
He’s the best in the world and it’s not close.
On confidence:
We were getting a little over-hyped in the third quarter and we tried to keep everybody focused, and we got to keep doing that.
On the offense vs. the 2019 offense:
In 2019, it was majority run game, I’d say, and now we could attack any which way. George finally got his big night that he deserves, which was coming. And whenever you double-cover somebody, there’s somebody else making a play.
On Kittle:
I just think he kind of gets overshadowed sometimes and I see a lot of tight ends around the league scoring touchdowns and I’m kind of like George deserves his due. It was just a matter of time.
Brock Purdy
On having played the Cowboys last year:
I think it did help, for sure. Just watching the film and just our scheme going into this game and mindset going into this game, I just felt like it was better overall for myself.
On Kittle being wide open on the flea-flicker:
You sometimes can overthink it, ‘Do I put it on him, do I lead him downfield, or what?’ So I think in that case I was about to get hit, so it was actually nice knowing that I just gotta get the ball to George. George did a great job. The whole play was great. I was excited we finally got to call it.
On his offensive rhythm:
I don’t know if I’ve ever felt this good with the offense as a whole. There’s some good games, back-to-back-to-back in college. It feels like everyone’s just on a mission, man. The mindset is right where it needs to be. Everyone’s so detailed in what they do. The play calls are great, so it’s like all I got to do is go out there and do my job and that’s it. Just play ball.
On staying focused:
It’s not just a given that these are going to be the teams at the end. So we have a lot of experienced veterans to be able to say that ain’t true.
On the players’ patience:
This team doesn’t have any ego, everyone wants to win. I feel like everyone knows that they’re good, so it’s gonna just be a matter of time with their game. This game, George had the touchdowns, he had opportunities.
On the praise:
I’m not trying to get caught up in what other people are saying. There’s still stuff on film where I can get better. Kyle’s real with me about that, Greise ‘s real with me about that.
On getting better from last year’s game:
Watching the film from last year, it’s like man, I want to be better. That’s really every game, but going back to last year, it’s like all right, I’m going to play a lot of the same guys on defense, really the same scheme.
On the offensive line:
They’re the real dudes. They should get all the glory, man. without them, this wouldn’t be possible.
George Kittle
On the three touchdowns:
Being able to see Vernon (Davis) pregame, he told me to score three to tie his record.
On Purdy:
Brock’s pocket awareness and being able to move and like keep his feet in position so he can make all those throws. He’s a robot, man. He’s very special.
On Purdy’s poise:
When you experience all the highs and lows in college and you get to the NFL, you’re just kind of prepared for it. I’m not trying to compare the college to the NFL but he’s just had so many reps that’s allowing him to play like a vet.
On the performance:
That’s one of our best team performances. Sunday Night Football, it’s my favorite night to play because everybody’s watching.
For us to go out like that, talk about our defense: Fred Warner played a hell of a game – interception, forced fumble, bunch of tackles; our whole D-line was fantastic. You look at our special teams, Wishnowsky just can’t not punt it great. He’s been fantastic, with all those punts inside the 10 and the 5. As an offense, that’s really difficult if you’re coming out of the end zone and our crowd’s loud. George Odum is fantastic and had all those tackles on special teams. We have a really good team, we’re healthy and we’re clicking right now.
On if he knew he’d have a big game:
Last week against the Cardinals, I thought I was gonna have 150 yards and three touchdowns and it’s just not the way the game went. Kyle calls whatever’s hot — that’s how he feels and that’s why he’s such a talented playcaller. I knew I had some activity in the red zone this week, which is really fun.
On Purdy in the offense:
He throws some ridiculous footballs in practice. I know everyone likes to Tweet during training camp about him throwing interceptions. But that’s just him getting ready for the season. He’s going, in my opinion, the best defense in the NFL. Honestly the best thing about training camp for us was really that Nick Bosa didn’t play, and so we were actually able to have an offense. He didn’t have to disrupt every single play if he wasn’t going against Trent Williams; nothing against our tackles, that’s just how good Nick Bosa is. We were actually able to have fun drives, he was able to look down field and build chemistry with all our skill players.
On flea flicker
“We’ve had that installed since last year, like week 7 or 8. I’m all can we call it? Called it last year in NFC Championship Game, with Christian, didn’t throw it because I think I was quadruple coverage. Didn’t have much of a threat of throwing last year.
“I was sitting on my couch and saw (Sam) LaPorta scored on it with the Lions today. I said to my tight ends coach, ‘They ran our play, how’d they know? He said, ‘Don’t worry, we’ll run it better.’ Yeah, it’s 10 yards farther out, so I guess that counts. I’m never upset when two Iowa tight ends are scoring on the same play.
On what he learned about the 49ers
“We’re just a very violent football team and the hits just kind of add up after a while. Whether it’s Trent Williams on a block or fred and dre on a pass play and safeties coming down. We’re a violent physical football team that is the standard of the San Francisco 49ers.”
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