SANTA CLARA, Calif. – When the season began, the Dallas Cowboys never imagined they would find themselves in such a predicament after seven games.

With Sunday’s 30-24 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, the Cowboys are in last place in the NFC at 3-4 and are currently closer to the bottom of the NFC than a Super Bowl contender.

“We are disappointed,” said coach Mike McCarthy. “Our men really had a good week of preparation. I thought there was room for improvement. But we still have a lot to do.”

The last time the Cowboys had a 3-4 record with a healthy Dak Prescott at quarterback was 2018. In 2020, the Cowboys were 2-5 on the way to 2-7, but Prescott suffered a compound fracture and a dislocation of his right ankle in the fifth game of the season.

The 2018 Cowboys were buoyed by a midseason trade for wide receiver Amari Cooper and finished the season with a 10-6 record, winning the NFC East and a playoff game. Only five active Sunday players remain from the 2018 roster – Prescott, running back Ezekiel Elliott, right guard Zack Martin, cornerback Jourdan Lewis and special teamer CJ Goodwin.

The Cowboys play next week at the NFC South top seed Atlanta Falcons.

“We know what’s important in this league,” Prescott said. “You’re getting hot, you’re getting going, that’s all you want to do. That’s my point, that it’s frustrating, but no one gives up. No one is shaken, as you might say, the way we are. We just need to focus, prepare for the away trip and put together another good team and do everything we can to make sure we get a win. After that we have to take care of the revenge.

The Cowboys’ next four opponents – the Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Texans and Washington Commanders – are a combined 22-7 after each win on Sunday.

“We have to keep going every Sunday after Sunday,” Lewis said. “We can’t think about the future. That’s where we are now: thinking about the next game and the next chance.”

However, frustration is growing. The Cowboys have lost four straight games to the 49ers, including two postseason contests and three straight at Levi’s Stadium.

Dallas cornerback Trevon Diggs, still in uniform, emerged from the locker room to confront a television reporter about a tweet during the game that appeared to question his performance.

“It really sucks,” wide receiver CeeDee Lamb said. “Especially that I have come here three times in the last three years. It’s disgusting.”

Although the Cowboys fell behind 27-10 after a 21-0 score and a 167-16 yard lead in the third quarter, they still had a chance to grab the improbable victory, but Prescott had it after taking over with 3:05 to play to play four incompletions in a row.

It was the end of a game Prescott would like to forget. While he threw two touchdown passes to Lamb in the fourth quarter, Prescott became the first Cowboys quarterback with two interceptions in three straight games since Troy Aikman in 1992, according to ESPN Research.

Prescott completed 25 of 38 yards for 243 yards and was sacked twice.

“I mean, personally, I’m frustrated. I myself am frustrated in my game. I imagine the rest of the guys are too,” Prescott said. “I didn’t get the win, now two in a row, sitting at 3-4. But I can definitely tell you that no one is shaken or giving up. The frustration is very great. But it’s a long season. I mean, it’s a long season. Division.” games, a lot is still ahead of us.

“Frustrated. That’s the best way I can put it.”