SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis said the workouts have been fantastic. He called Wednesday’s session “crazy.”

Quarterback Dak Prescott said the communication and intensity were strong and a sense of urgency was felt in the locker room.

Coach Mike McCarthy praised his teams’ focus and adjustments to practice sessions that focused more on team drills than individual drills.

The Cowboys looked ready to get their season back on track.

Then it happened Sunday night.

San Francisco defeated Dallas again, this time 30-24 at Levi’s Stadium.

A late comeback that saw receiver CeeDee Lamb catch two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter proved too late. The rally ended when Prescott misfired on receiver Jalen Brooks with 2:49 left on fourth down as the Cowboys sideline complained about possible pass interference.

No call.

The Cowboys have lost their last four games to the 49ers and once again it wasn’t close.

It was the first road loss of the season for a Cowboys team that has a schedule that isn’t getting any easier.

And while some injured players are expected back at some point this season, what’s left of this 2024 season could be useless for some.

Here are five takeaways from Cowboys-49ers:

The divisional race

It’s hard to discuss the NFC East race after a loss. Well, former Cowboys receiver Noah Brown and the Cowboys’ loss to the 49ers made things interesting.

When Brown caught a Hail Mary pass to give the Washington Commanders a dramatic victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday afternoon, it ruined the Cowboys’ chance to move within a game of the first-place Commanders.

The loss to the Cowboys, who fell to 3-4, left them 2.5 games behind the first-place Commanders (6-2) in the division. When it comes to playoff tiebreakers, if you’re into that sort of thing, the Cowboys are 1-3 in the conference. What it all means: The Cowboys need some help and may have to win their five remaining division games to have a shot at the division title. Maybe even just to get a wildcard berth, which seems far away at this point.

Dak Prescott and turnover

Dak Prescott threw two interceptions, the third straight game in which he threw multiple interceptions this season. On Sunday night, Prescott’s interceptions were on questionable throws. In the first quarter, he was picked off by safety Ji’Ayir Brown on a deep throw to KaVontae Turpin. Prescott had receiver CeeDee Lamb in one-on-one coverage on the other side of the field, but didn’t target him. The turnover prevented the 49ers from scoring. However, in the third quarter, Prescott’s second interception led to a 49ers score. Prescott tried to find Lamb along the sideline, but cornerback Deommodore Lenoir picked off the underthrown pass with 11:30 left. The 49ers would score a touchdown on a three-yard run by backup running back Isaac Guerendo to take a 13–10 lead. When the night was over, Prescott completed 25 of 38 passes for 243 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

The running backs

When the Cowboys elevated running back Dalvin Cook from the practice squad to the 48-man gameday roster on Saturday, it caused confusion on social media because it meant one of the Cowboys’ running backs would not play. Well, it turns out starter Rico Dowdle was made inactive for the game, but he wasn’t a healthy scratch. Dowdle was sick when he arrived at Levi’s Stadium. Dowdle has the flu, yet he was seen signing autographs just outside the Cowboys tunnel before the game.

Dowdle, the Cowboys’ leading rusher, had started the previous five games. Ezekiel Elliott earned the start, his second of the season, and Cook backed him up. Deuce Vaughn, who has been inactive the last two games, was active but did not play the first half.

What happened to the defense?

The Cowboys got linebacker Eric Kendricks back from a shoulder injury, but nothing else. A defense missing Micah Parsons, DaRon Bland, DeMarcus Lawrence, Sam Williams and Marshawn Kneeland needed more replacements against the 49ers. Tight end George Kittle caught six passes for 128 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Brock Purdy scrambled for nearly as many yards as the Cowboys’ running backs. When starting running back Jordan Mason suffered a shoulder injury after rushing for 18 yards on six carries, it didn’t matter. Backup Isaac Guerendo, a fourth-round pick, rushed 14 times for 85 yards and one touchdown. The Cowboys pass rush was lacking, as has been the case for most of the season. Purdy was given plenty of time to throw and even when he was taken out of the pocket, he did so with little force. The Cowboys safeties have struggled to keep up with Kittle and the lack of takeaways continues to hinder this defense.

Goodbye week was good, until it wasn’t

The Cowboys have one of the best records in the NFL after a bye week. Sunday’s loss dropped the Cowboys to 3-2 after bye weeks under coach Mike McCarthy. The two losses were an overtime loss to the Packers in 2022 and Sunday night. Entering the game, the Cowboys were tied with the Bills for the third-most wins (24) after a bye since its institution in 1990. The Cowboys are now 15-9 on the road after a bye week, with the most away wins after a bye.

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