The San Francisco 49ers did what they were supposed to do on Sunday night, defeating the Dallas Cowboys 30-24. Linebacker Fred Warner said the team made it closer than it should have, but a win is a win.

The Niners averaged nearly eight yards per play in the first half. Brock Purdy’s missed throws and offensive penalties left what felt like several points on the table. The defense did its job keeping the offense in the game.

Then the script flipped. The offense got going late in the game, but the defense forgot to guard CeeDee Lamb. There were no special teams errors, which may have made the difference in the game.

Let’s take a look at Sunday night’s winners and losers.

winner

George Kittle

Kittle will go down as one of the all-time greats in franchise history. He caught six of his seven targets for 128 yards, an average of over 21 yards per reception. The YAC brothers were out in full force as 73 of his 128 yards came after the catch. Kittle led all pass catchers in yards in Week 8 after catching above expectations at +41.

Kudos to Kyle Shanahan for putting Kittle on offense as he averaged nearly five yards per score.

Brock Purdy’s problems

Purdy didn’t see the field well early on. He was hesitant, hesitant and targeted his passes rather than letting it rip. During the two-minute drill before the end of the first half, Purdy finally used his legs to get out of trouble.

That helped Brock settle in and it led to the quarterback playing the way Shanahan and the offense needed to so they could execute.

Purdy rushed for a season-high 56 yards — one yard shy of his career high — as he had 14 more rushing yards than the next closest quarterback in Week 8. Whenever Purdy fights back, good things usually follow. In this case, it led to the 49ers scoring on four of their next five drives – including three touchdowns.

Purdy finished with 51 yards on five scrambles for a 100 percent success rate and a career-best +14 rushing yards above expectations. He had three first downs on scrambles and now has the second-most scrambles on first downs in the NFL before Monday night.

Red zone offense

The Niners scored three touchdowns in four red zone trips.

It wasn’t until the second half that the offense reached the red zone. Kittle’s 43-yard gain set up 1st-and-goal from the Dallas four-yard line. Isaac Guerendo scored a goal on the following play.

After an interception by Deommodore Lenoir, it was 1st-and-goal from the seven-yard line. Shanahan engineered a pick play and Kittle received a completely open touchdown.

The most difficult result came in the third period when it was first and goal from the nine. Guerendo gained only one yard on first down, but Deebo Samuel gained six yards on a run and Purdy ran it in on the next play.

On the fourth trip to the red zone, the offense failed to score because Guerendo slipped and time ran out.

A return to the mean, especially with Christian McCaffrey returning to the lineup, will go a long way in helping the 49ers pick up wins. Moving the ball wasn’t a problem this season, but the decision to make field goals was. Their identity is passing the ball with quick passes. That was the recipe for success against the Cowboys.

Third defense

The defense let up in the fourth quarter, allowing two barely contested shots on goal. But even taking those into account, Dallas was under five yards per play on the day. The Cowboys took a 5-13 lead on third and fourth downs.

Nick Sorensen’s team has been dominant on early downs all season, and that didn’t change on Sunday night. They were in position on third downs but couldn’t get off the field.

Four of Dallas’ third and fourth down conversions came in the first half. Sorensen made the Cowboys one-dimensional. The ghost of Dalvin Cook had six carries for 12 yards. Zeke Elliott wasn’t much better. Despite rushing for 11 yards, Elliott only ran for 34 yards on 10 carries. Dallas was held to a 2.9 56-yard average as a team. If you can’t run the ball, it’s not easy to be successful offensively.

There was a stark contrast between both teams on the ground, and it’s no surprise that one team converted 33 percent of its third-down attempts while the other, which averaged over six yards per carry, went 8 on third down 16 scored.

loser

Brock Purdy’s first half

On the podium, Purdy took responsibility for his first half.

“I definitely had some missed opportunities. For big plays, of course, but for completions in general in the first half – especially on third downs. For me it was just about being honest with myself. I knew I had to get better, especially for our team. The fact that we just faltered on third downs was largely my fault.”

Purdy was 10 of 16 for 151 yards at halftime, but there were glaring misses, misreads and quarterback plays that didn’t look familiar.

On 3rd and 6, with 2:48 left in the first quarter, Purdy had Kittle and Jacob Cowing open. He decided to throw it to Kittle and airmailed the throw, forcing a punt. This finish would have given the offense the ball in midfield and given them a chance to add points.

On the following drive, the Cowboys forgot to cover Deebo Samuel. It was a layup shot, but Deebo had no chance:

That was another missed opportunity. Finally, with less than a minute to play in the second quarter, Purdy had the tuck rule fumble and then missed Chris Conley on 3rd-and-17 for a first down. He made more errors in halftime than we had seen in most of Purdy’s games all season.

The Cowboys are not a good football team. The 49ers can’t afford to leave yards on the field like they did in the first half against Dallas. Most of this was due to the quarterback’s inaccuracy and inconsistency.

Defense in the 4th quarter

After a three-and-out, the offense stumbled on a 2nd & 1. The defense took command with 11 minutes to play. It looked like Charvarius Ward would have his first interception of the season. But a ticky-tack pass interference call gave the Cowboys life.

On 4th-and-4, Dallas gained 16 yards. This was followed by a 9-, 15- and seven-yard touchdown for Lamb. The offense responded with a much-needed field goal, but the ensuing defensive possession was its worst of the season.

Let’s say you’re sitting in your house and you forgot something in your car. In the time it took you to go outside, grab the thing, and sit back on the couch, the Cowboys scored a touchdown. The tackling and effort was suspect and Renardo Green was taken out by his teammate, leaving Lamb uncovered.

The defense continues to trend toward being among the NFL’s best, but performances like this are why fans are hesitant to crown them or trust them.

The third goal goes to Ronnie Bell

At what point does Shanahan pull the plug?

Bell had one target in the game, and it was a third-down pass in the fourth quarter when they needed to gain a yard. Samuel was out, so your core relied on rookies Bell and Chris Conley. Throw a screen to Ricky Pearsall or Jacob Cowing. Have Kittle run an out route. Throw it to Kyle Juszczyk. Let the ball run. Let Purdy sneak it.

It’s a game that will be forgotten because the Niners won the game, but the continued reliance on Bell after it became clear that he and Purdy did not see eye to eye is puzzling.

winner

Isaac Guerendo

Guerendo’s speed makes the difference. He had three carries for 10 yards and seven runs in which he reached at least 15 mph – a league high in Week 8.

Shanahan said he believes Guerendo becomes more comfortable the more he is carried. Guerendo averaged 4.3 yards after contact, fifth-best among all running backs. The rookie’s contact record was impressive. The Cowboys are a lousy run defense, but Guerendo still managed to gain 25 more yards than expected.

The secondary

Lenoir’s numbers look worse after he was the primary defender in coverage against Lamb, but it was a strong night for the 49ers’ secondary defenders.

Lenoir was targeted 12 times but only allowed a passer rating of 43.4. His interception led to a touchdown. After the game, Nick Bosa called Lenoir a “dog” and one of his favorite teammates he’s ever played with. It’s easy to see why, as Lenoir had three running stops, lined up in the box several times and held his own.

Lenoir is one of two cornerbacks in the NFL ranked in the top ten in run stops, passer rating allowed, and interceptions and pass breakups. He was phenomenal in his career year this season.

One sign that Ward was healthy is his effort at running. Mooney also had three run stops. When the cornerbacks are involved against the run – Green had two run stops – the defense is at its best.

Ward only allowed 22 yards on four targets and again had to have an interception. Green continues to boom in reporting. He allowed just 12 yards on three targets. His versatility allows Sorensen to play multiple coverages.

On the back end, Ji’Ayir Brown and Malik Mustapha did an excellent job of limiting big plays. Getting offenders to take a long, methodical approach increases the likelihood that they will make a mistake.

Mustapha broke up a pass in the end zone and came back for a run stop. Brown does a little bit of everything, from rushing the passer to playing the safety role on defense. This is a team that came into the season with higher expectations than usual and has undoubtedly exceeded them.

The 49ers in the 3rd quarter

The 49ers outscored Dallas 21-0 in the third quarter. It was the closest they’ve ever come to being a Super Bowl team this season.

The offense scored a touchdown in five plays in two minutes and saw just one first down. There were two quarterback scrambles and an explosive play by their best player.

The defense then followed up with a run stop by Brown and an interception by Lenoir. The offense capitalized with a touchdown on a short field thanks to another Purdy scramble on third down.

The defense threw Dak Prescott out of the pocket several times, leading to another three-pointer. Purdy had another 16-yard scramble on the next drive. Kittle had another explosive play. Then Samuel saved the day on third down and the offense once again found the end zone out of the red zone.

And once again the defense forced a three-pointer.

This team has the ability to put teams on one side of the ball in a stranglehold and move the ball with ease when they are on offense. We know what the Niners are capable of, and the return of Christian McCaffrey and Jauan Jennings should only improve their efficiency and explosiveness.

Now it’s up to the team to put the whole thing together for four quarters. If so, we’ll be talking about the playoffs in a few months.