2020 season · Week 15

Pregame

AI summary, sourced from 1 period article (ESPN AP)

The 49ers (5-8) travel to AT&T Stadium for a 5:20 PT Sunday Night Football kickoff against the Dallas Cowboys (4-9).

C.J. Beathard starts in place of an ineffective Mullens. Andy Dalton is the Cowboys' QB1 in place of an injured Dak Prescott. Mike McCarthy coaches Dallas. The 49ers are coming off the elimination loss to Washington.

The 49ers' season is officially over but the schedule continues.[1][2]

AI summary, sourced from 1 period article (ESPN AP)

C.J. Beathard starts Sunday night at AT&T Stadium. The Cowboys are 4-9 in Mike McCarthy's first year, missing Dak Prescott since his Week 5 ankle injury, and have been the kind of team that, on any given week, can look like the 2019 12-win team or the 4-9 team they currently are.

The 49ers are 5-8 and officially eliminated. Two preseason contenders meet with their seasons effectively over. Beathard's first start since 2018.

Favored by 3 in primetime. The 49ers should handle a Cowboys team that has not yet found an identity under McCarthy.

AI summary, sourced from 1 period article (ESPN AP)

Week 15 Sunday Night Football is the dual-postseason-elimination matchup. The 49ers (5-8) and Cowboys (4-9) meet with neither team in the playoff picture. Around the NFC the Saints, Packers, Seahawks, Rams, and Buccaneers continue to lead. Around the AFC the Steelers, Chiefs, Bills, and Browns are at the top. The Sunday-night game is the kind of week where the schedule produces a meaningless matchup that two networks have to fill.

AI summary, sourced from 1 period article (ESPN AP)

Through thirteen games the 49ers are 5-8 with a -11 point differential. The Cowboys are 4-9 with a -53. Andy Dalton averages 220 passing per game with 8 TDs and 5 INTs in his Dallas tenure. Dak Prescott out (ankle, season-ending). Beathard starts (1st start since 2018). Vegas opens the 49ers as 3-point road favorites; total 49.

League standings entering Week 15

Standings as of kickoff, Week 15 (no future-game spoilers)

Around the league

  • Best record league-wide: Kansas City Chiefs (12-1).
  • Still searching for win one: New York Jets.

AFC

AFC East

TeamRecStrk
Buffalo Bills10-3--
Miami Dolphins8-5--
New England Patriots6-7--
New York Jets0-13--

AFC North

TeamRecStrk
Pittsburgh Steelers11-2--
Cleveland Browns9-4--
Baltimore Ravens8-5--
Cincinnati Bengals2-10-1--

AFC South

TeamRecStrk
Indianapolis Colts9-4--
Tennessee Titans9-4--
Houston Texans4-9--
Jacksonville Jaguars1-12--

AFC West

TeamRecStrk
Kansas City Chiefs12-1--
Las Vegas Raiders7-6--
Denver Broncos5-8--
Los Angeles Chargers4-9--

NFC

NFC West

TeamRecStrk
Los Angeles Rams9-4--
Seattle Seahawks9-4--
Arizona Cardinals7-6--
San Francisco 49ers5-8--

NFC East

TeamRecStrk
Washington Football Team6-7--
New York Giants5-8--
Philadelphia Eagles4-8-1--
Dallas Cowboys4-9--

NFC North

TeamRecStrk
Green Bay Packers10-3--
Chicago Bears6-7--
Minnesota Vikings6-7--
Detroit Lions5-8--

NFC South

TeamRecStrk
New Orleans Saints10-3--
Tampa Bay Buccaneers8-5--
Atlanta Falcons4-9--
Carolina Panthers4-9--

Game video

▶ Open in YouTube Dallas Cowboys vs. San Francisco 49ers Week 15 Full Game | Madden 2020 Season Simulation · channel: NFL

If the player above shows only a "Watch on YouTube" tile, the uploader has disabled inline embedding for this video. Click the button to open it on YouTube.

Game info

Roof
closed
Surface
fieldturf
Stadium
AT&T Stadium
Referee
Land Clark
QB matchup
Nick Mullens vs Andy Dalton
Vegas line
49ers -4
Over/Under
46

Score

Reveal through:

49ers 7, Dallas Cowboys 1449ers 14, Dallas Cowboys 1749ers 24, Dallas Cowboys 2449ers 33, Dallas Cowboys 4149ers 33, Dallas Cowboys 41[1]

1234T
San Francisco 49ers77109714243333
Dallas Cowboys1437171417244141

Scoring plays

Reveal each quarter as you watch, the next quarter stays hidden until you tap it.

Q1

TeamPlayScore
CowboysTony Pollard 1 yard rush ( Greg Zuerlein kick)0-7
CowboysMichael Gallup 3 yard pass from Andy Dalton ( Greg Zuerlein kick)0-14
49ersJordan Reed 5 yard pass from Nick Mullens ( Robbie Gould kick)7-14

Q2

TeamPlayScore
CowboysGreg Zuerlein 48 yard field goal7-17
49ersBrandon Aiyuk 2 yard pass from Nick Mullens ( Robbie Gould kick)14-17

Q3

TeamPlayScore
49ersRobbie Gould 41 yard field goal17-17
CowboysDalton Schultz 12 yard pass from Andy Dalton ( Greg Zuerlein kick)17-24
49ersJeff Wilson 1 yard rush ( Robbie Gould kick)24-24

Q4

TeamPlayScore
CowboysGreg Zuerlein 46 yard field goal24-27
CowboysTony Pollard 40 yard rush ( Greg Zuerlein kick)24-34
49ersRobbie Gould 31 yard field goal27-34
CowboysCeeDee Lamb 47 yard kickoff return ( Greg Zuerlein kick)27-41
49ersKendrick Bourne 49 yard pass from C.J. Beathard33-41

Recap

AI summary, sourced from 1 period article (ESPN AP)

Andy Dalton threw for 290 yards and three touchdowns and the Dallas Cowboys beat the 49ers 41-33 in a high-scoring Sunday Night Football game at AT&T Stadium. C.J. Beathard threw for 268 yards and three TDs in his first start of 2020. Brandon Aiyuk caught 6 for 88 with two TDs. The Cowboys' Tony Pollard ran for 69. The 49ers' defense generated zero sacks of Dalton. The 49ers fell to 5-9.[1][2]

AI summary, sourced from 1 period article (ESPN AP)

Sunday Night Football at AT&T Stadium. Andy Dalton, the Cowboys' backup who has spent most of his career being underestimated, threw for 290 yards and three touchdowns. C.J. Beathard, in his first start since 2018, threw for 268 and three. The Cowboys won 41-33 in the kind of high-scoring shootout that two eliminated teams sometimes produce.

Brandon Aiyuk caught two touchdowns. Jeff Wilson Jr. ran for 53. The 49ers' defense, without most of its front, generated zero sacks of Dalton and gave up 41 points. The kind of Sunday-night loss where the 49ers' competitive identity, on a team officially playing out the string, somehow produced a respectable 33 points but the defense never had a chance.

Dalton hit Amari Cooper for two touchdowns. CeeDee Lamb caught one. The kind of game where the Cowboys' backup quarterback looks more than capable. 5-9 with the Cardinals on the road next week and one game left at State Farm Stadium against the Seahawks to close the year.

AI summary, sourced from 1 period article (ESPN AP)

Cowboys 41, 49ers 33. Margin: -8. Fourteen-game record: 5-9, -19 differential.

  • Andy Dalton: 24-of-34 for 290, 3 TDs (no INTs).
  • Amari Cooper: 2 TD receptions.
  • CeeDee Lamb: 1 TD reception.
  • Tony Pollard: 12 carries for 69.
  • C.J. Beathard: 21-of-31 for 268, 3 TDs (1st start since 2018).
  • Brandon Aiyuk: 6 catches for 88, 2 TDs.
  • 49ers D: 0 sacks of Dalton.
  • 49ers 5-9; Cowboys 5-9.
AI summary, sourced from 1 period article (ESPN AP)

A 41-33 Sunday Night Football loss at AT&T Stadium. The 49ers fall to 5-9 in a high-scoring matchup between two eliminated teams.

How it unfolded

The Cowboys opened with a Dalton touchdown to CeeDee Lamb. Beathard answered with a touchdown drive ending in an Aiyuk catch. Both teams traded scores into the second quarter. Dallas built a 24-17 halftime lead on two more Dalton touchdowns. The third quarter was a Beathard touchdown to Aiyuk and another Dallas score. The Cowboys added a fourth-quarter touchdown to push the lead to 41-26. The 49ers added a late score to make it 41-33.

The turning point

Dalton's third touchdown right before halftime. With the score tied at 17 and the defenses both struggling to stop the pass, Dallas's answering scoring drive pushed the Cowboys back to a one-score halftime lead they would not relinquish.

By the numbers

Beathard 21-of-31 for 268 with three TDs in his first start since 2018. Dalton 24-of-34 for 290 with three TDs. Aiyuk 6 catches for 88 with two TDs. Tony Pollard 69 rushing. The 49ers' zero sacks of Dalton.

Personnel watch

Beathard with the kind of stat line that, on a 5-9 team playing out the string, gave the coaching staff something to think about for the future. Aiyuk continuing his rookie production. The defense, without Bosa and Thomas and now also with Trent Williams out, produced no sacks for the third time this year.

What it means

5-9 with the Cardinals on the road next week. The Sunday-night loss confirms that the 49ers' defensive identity, without the front-four producers, cannot get opposing quarterbacks off the field. The Cardinals game is the rivalry's second meeting of the year. The 49ers are playing for pride.

Box score

Passing

PlayerC/AYdsTDIntRate
SFO
Nick Mullens21/3621922
C.J. Beathard5/710010
DAL
Andy Dalton19/3320920
Cedrick Wilson Jr.1/11200

Rushing

PlayerAttYdsTDLong
SFO
Raheem Mostert1468017
Jeff Wilson1660112
Tevin Coleman31106
Nick Mullens1707
Kyle Juszczyk2403
DAL
Tony Pollard1269240
Rico Dowdle41105
Andy Dalton2806
Noah Brown1404
Blake Bell1202
Amari Cooper2-704

Receiving

PlayerRecYdsTDLong
SFO
Kendrick Bourne486149
Brandon Aiyuk973126
Richie James456023
Ross Dwelley228019
Kyle Juszczyk125025
Jerick McKinnon222023
Jordan Reed218113
River Cracraft21108
DAL
CeeDee Lamb585045
Tony Pollard663030
Michael Gallup326112
Dalton Schultz214112
Noah Brown113013
Blake Bell110010
Amari Cooper21005

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