Last week, the Dallas Cowboys suffered a heartbreaking loss at the hands of the New York Jets, 27-24. This week, the Cowboys reversed their fortunes, defeating the San Francisco 49ers by a final score of 27-24, in a game that was far from pretty for either side.
After a strong opening drive from Dallas, kicker Dan Bailey missed a 21-yard field goal attempt, which would prove to be the closest either team would come to scoring in the first frame of the evening.
After a pass interference call set the 49ers up at Dallas’s one-yard line early in the second quarter, Frank Gore opened up the scoring, punching it in from a yard out to give the 49ers a 7-0 lead. Shortly afterward, following a quick three-and-out from Dallas’s struggling offense, San Francisco took over at the Cowboys’ 48. Nine plays and a little over four minutes later,Alex Smith hit Kyle Williams for a 12-yard touchdown pass, extending the lead to 14-0.
The Cowboys’ offense finally managed to put together a scoring drive with around two minutes remaining in the first half, sprung by a timely offsides call on the 49ers, which preserved the Cowboys’ drive. On the play after that, Tony Romo hit Miles Austin for a 53-yard catch-and-run for a score, to draw the deficit to 14-7.
Romo suffered what’s being called a fractured rib on the penultimate drive of the first half, which forced him to miss the opening series of the second--but Austin continued what would be an impressive showing after intermission, taking a five yard pass from Jon Kitna in for a game-tying touchdown midway through the third quarter.
The ‘Niners answered with a 29-yard touchdown pass from Smith to Delanie Walker to retake a seven-point lead, 21-14. David Akers added a 55-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, to put the San Francisco lead at 24-14, but it would be all Cowboys after that.
Austin caught his third touchdown pass of the day from Romo--who had returned midway through the third quarter--to bring Dallas within three. On the team's next drive, Bailey hit a 48-yard field goal as time expired to tie the game at 24-24 and force overtime.
Romo hit Jesse Holley for a 77-yard gain on the first play of the Cowboys’ first possession in the extra frame, setting up a potentially game-winning 19-yard field goal attempt for Bailey. Bailey hit it, to give Dallas the 27-24 win.
At 1-1, the Cowboys will face the Redskins next Monday night in Arlington.
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