All week, it was billed as a heavyweight bout between NFL powerhouses. San Francisco 49ers versus Dallas Cowboys was being pushed as the season's best matchup so far. With one team entering the contest with a flawless 4-0 record and the other entering at 3-1, most were surprised to witness a decidedly one-sided affair.
The 49ers dominated the contest, winning 42-10 and firmly establishing themselves as the premier team in the NFC—and perhaps even the entire NFL. However, Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons remains unconvinced that the 49ers outclass his own team.
"I don't think they really a higher level than us," Parsons said after the game. "I think we the same caliber playoff team. If not, the same talent, same standard as them."
The scoreboard and stat line tell a different story. The 49ers racked up 421 yards of total offense and 25 first downs in the game. In stark contrast, the Cowboys managed only 197 total yards and eight first downs. San Francisco won the turnover margin four to one.
Kyle Shanahan acknowledges that the numbers reflect a one-sided contest. However, the head coach isn't making too much of the dominant performance against a team many anticipated to be their most formidable challenge yet this season.
"It's exciting, and all this is fun, but been in the NFL way too long, been 5-0 and haven't made the playoffs before," Shanahan said. "All that stuff really doesn't matter. I mean, the way people talked about it during the week, we didn't see it that way.
"I told our team last night, whether we win or lose this game, I expect it to make us better. If we go out there and play like we're capable of, we should feel that and be able to carry it on the next week and get better. And if we go out there and we get beat, as long as we do it the right way, I think it'll make us better going forward, after that.
"You want to be in games like this just leading up to it. You want to be battle-tested in every facet of stuff that can happen later in the season. I'm glad we did it the other way. Being 5-0 feels good, but it means nothing until you get to the end."
While Parsons remains confident about the Cowboys this season, his teammate, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, was less optimistic about the defeat.
"We got to be complete," Lamb said via The Athletic's Jon Machota. "We can't go out there one week and look like a super team, and then the following week, s--t the bed."
Cowboys WR CeeDee Lamb on Dallas' offense: "We got to be complete. We can't go out there one week and look like a super team and then the following week shit the bed."
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) October 9, 2023
The Cowboys were riding a wave of confidence following a 38-3 win over the New England Patriots, rebounding from losing to the Arizona Cardinals. Dallas was eager for Sunday's contest, seeking to avenge their past two playoff defeats at the hands of the 49ers.
Instead, they find themselves searching for answers, still looking to define their identity.