The rally in Dallas fails and the division's hopes suffer a setback

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Cowboys cornerback Jourdan Lewis said practice was fantastic. He called Wednesday's meeting “crazy.”

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

Coach Mike McCarthy praised his teams' focus and adjustment of practices, focusing more on team drills than individual drills.

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

Then Sunday night happened.

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

A late comeback in which receiver CeeDee Lamb caught two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter proved to be too late. The rally ended when Prescott made a missed shot against 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 facing 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 the 2024 season could be useless for some.

Here are five takeaways from the Cowboys-49ers:

The division race

It's hard to talk about 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 cost the Cowboys a chance to get within one game of the first-place Commanders.

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

Dak Prescott and turnovers

Dak Prescott threw two interceptions, the third straight game in which he threw multiple interceptions this season. On Sunday night, Prescott's interceptions were questionable. In the first quarter, he was blocked 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 did not target him. The 49ers did not score due to the turnover. However, in the third quarter, Prescott's second interception led to a 49ers score. Prescott struggled to find Lamb on the sideline, but cornerback Deommodore Lenoir intercepted the underthrown pass with 11:30 left. The 49ers scored a touchdown on a 3-yard run by backup running back Isaac Guerendo to take a 13-10 lead. At the end of the night, 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 squad 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 player. Dowdle was ill when he arrived at Levi's Stadium. Dowdle has the flu, but he was still seen signing autographs right outside the Cowboys' tunnel before the game.

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

What happened to the defense?

The Cowboys got linebacker Eric Kendricks back from a shoulder injury, but not much else. A defense that was 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 managed almost 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 a touchdown. As has been the case most of the season, the Cowboys lacked a pass rush. Purdy had plenty of time to throw, and even when he was moved out of the pocket, he did so without much pressure. The Cowboys' safety has struggled to keep up with Kittle, and the lack of takeaways continues to plague this defense.

Bye week good until it wasn't

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

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