49ers’ Brock Purdy Comes Around in Win Over Cowboys

Brock Purdy #13 of the San Francisco 49ers throws a pass during the second quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Oct. 27, 2024. Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy didn’t let the specter of his three-interception performance in Week 7 and lackluster first half on Sunday haunt him against the Dallas Cowboys (3-4).

“It was a gut check for him,” 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said of Purdy in the post game press conference.

Purdy threw for 260 yards and a touchdown on 18-26 passing plus 56 yards rushing and a touchdown on eight carries, as the 49ers (4-4) scored 30 points for the first time in a month amid a 30-24 win at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Tight end George Kittle made Purdy’s job easier with six catches for 128 yards, and the two connected on a touchdown in the third quarter for a 20-10 lead.

“I thought he came out in the second half, and there were a few plays that weren’t there, and he did a [expletive] of a job extending plays that weren’t there with his feet,” Shahanan said. “The one in particular when he tried to throw a screen to Deebo (Samuel) and the D end peeled with it, which means you have no play. He just ran and turned it into a … 16-yarder.”

Things didn’t start off as smooth for the 49ers amid just two Anders Carlson field goals of 50 and 44 yards in the first half. Dallas, meanwhile, grabbed a 10-6 lead on an Ezekiel Elliott 1-yard touchdown run and a 29-yard field goal by Brandon Aubrey.

“Definitely thought I had some missed opportunities, obviously, for big plays but just completions in general in that first half, especially on third downs,” Purdy told reporters afterward. “And so for me, I was just being real with myself, and I had to be better, especially for my team.”

San Francisco turned the corner in the third quarter when running back Isaac Guerendo capped a 5-play, 60-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown for a 13-10 lead. After the Purdy-Kittle connection, Purdy added to the 49ers lead with a 2-yard touchdown run that finished a 9-play, 75-yard drive.

“He did a great job … just doing his job, creating some separation,” Purdy said about Kittle. “I’m really blessed to have George on my team.”

The 49ers defense owned the third quarter too, with an interception by cornerback Deommodore Lenoir and a three-and-out. While Dallas crept back in during the fourth quarter with two touchdowns, the 49ers defense stopped the Cowboys on four-straight passing plays to seal the win with 2:49 left in the game.

“That’s just normal football for the D to struggle for a couple of series like they did, and when they got it back for a possible game-winning drive to go four and out was huge,” Shanahan said.

Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb otherwise gave the Niners problems in the final quarter with scoring receptions of seven and 20 yards from quarterback Dak Prescott. Lamb finished with 13 receptions for 146 yards, and Prescott went 25-38 passing for 243 yards, but he got picked off twice.

“Nobody is shaken or giving up,” Prescott told reporters. “Frustration is very high. It’s a long season.”

Dallas faces the Atlanta Falcons (5-3) next after failing to bounce back from a blowout loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 6. The Cowboys begin a gauntlet with the Falcons—four winning teams in four weeks.

San Francisco returned to .500 with the bye week ahead before a Week 10 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-4). The Niners have yet to win consecutive games this season.

“We didn’t want to go into the bye week being 3-5 and having our backs against the wall like that,” Shanahan said. “When you look at our division and everything, (I) feel we’re in a real good spot.”