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49ers go 3-0 in pre-season with win over Dallas
By Morris Phillips August 29, 2009 |
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The 49ers improved to 3-0 in the pre-season on Saturday by sticking to the game plan: just keep it close until rookie quarterback Nate Davis gets in the game, and let him take it from there. While the giant video screens and the Cowboys’ new stadium provided plenty of intrigue and story lines coming in, the game quickly settled into the pre-season tedium that coaches and medical trainers alike would prefer. In fact with the game tied 13-13 late in the fourth quarter, and the referees engaged in an important video review, the Dallas fans continued to transition from their ultra-expensive seats to their super-hot automobiles without pause. But at that point, the magic of Nate Davis materialized with the 49ers stuck on their own 9-yard line with 3rd and 10 and just 1:40 remaining. Davis was flushed from the pocket, rolled right and threw a prayer deep up the sideline. Dallas safety Courtney Brown got fooled by Jason Hill’s double move and made contact with Hill as he desperately tried to recover, right before the football arrived. Brown was flagged for a 27-yard pass interference call, and the 49ers were in business. Davis then completed three more passes, along with two more Dallas penalties, to get the 49ers a first and goal at the six with just 42 second remaining. Two plays later, Kory Sheets, punched it in with a powerful nine yard run that gave the 49ers the 20-13 margin of victory. The final score masked the fact that the Cowboys dominated play while the regulars for both teams were on the field for the entire opening half. Dallas displayed its powerful run game behind an offensive line that was as good as advertised. The 49ers occasionally pressured Tony Romo, but not without stunting and blitz packages. On most plays, he delivered the ball without being harassed. Still the 49ers used a big interception from Mark Roman to keep Dallas within reach, down just 10-3 at the half. Shaun Hill finished 9 of 17 for just 79 yards as he completed an eventless, but turnover free, first half. Hill overthrew Vernon Davis for a potential big gainer down the middle, but for the most part, he was effective in his first appearance since being named the starter for the regular season opener. Glen Coffee and Sheets led the San Francisco rushing attack, but with just 101 yards on 25 attempts, the 49ers found the holes much smaller than those last week against Oakland. Dallas’ run game came up big in the first half, but struggled after halftime. The Cowboys finished with 125 yards on 28 attempts. Patrick Willis, the 49ers Pro Bowl linebacker, made his pre-season debut and played most of the first half. The 49ers conclude their pre-season schedule on Friday with a trip to San Diego to face the Chargers. |
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