Replacement Cowboys keep winning streak alive, beat 49ers 24-17

What if someone told you that the Dallas Cowboys would start the season without their core starters?

No quarterback Tony Romo. Three suspended defensive starters in ends DeMarcus Lawrence and Randy Gregory and middle linebacker Rolando McClain. And then play the fourth game without four more starters in wide receivers Dez Bryant, guard La’el Collins, tackle Tyron Smith and cornerback Orlando Scandrick?

Yet, the Cowboys would fashion a 3-1 record with dueling rookie of the year candidates in running back Ezekiel Elliott and quarterback Dak Prescott.

Would you believe it?

Owner Jerry Jones admittedly wouldn’t have. But there is no need to pinch yourself, or him

These Cowboys are a real, live 3-1, riding a three-game winning streak, after Sunday’s 24-17 comeback victory against the San Francisco 49ers in what might have been their most impressive outing of the season.

Those missing players accounted for 40 percent of the team’s salary cap, executive vice president Stephen Jones said.

Add in that the Cowboys were 1-11 without Romo during last year’s 4-12 campaign and are 2-8 all time without Romo and Bryant on the field, and it’s little wonder the elder Jones was happy in the locker room.

“I didn’t expect it,” Jerry Jones said. “I really didn’t expect it. This a competitive league. I really didn’t expect to do it without Dez, without our left tackle. Without key players like Scandrick. I really didn’t expect that. It says a lot about our depth. It says a lot about Jason [Garrett], our coaching. I’m really proud of those guys. We learned a lot last year. How to not do it, waiting on people to get back.”

Most impressive to Jones was the way this group of replacements added to its own adversity by digging a 14-0 hole in the second quarter before a crowd of 70,178 at Levi’s Stadium.

But there was no panic. Not on the sideline with coach Jason Garrett and not with the players.

“Yeah, that’s what this team’s all about,” Garrett said. “That’s how we built this team. They fight through adversity. I thought that was evident today. A lot of different guys in the lineup for us. Backups playing. Nobody blinked. Nobody blinked when we were down 14 on the road. It was a hell of a team win for us.”

Prescott continued to play with the poise of a veteran, completing 23 of 32 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns. He had a 20-yard scoring pass to Terrance Williams and a 4-yarder to Brice Butler, as both filled in nicely for Bryant.

Prescott has not been intercepted in 131 passes through the first four games of the season. That’s an NFL record for a rookie and it’s the first time the Cowboys have ever done it as a team in franchise history.

“I think this just shows our character,” Prescott said. “We had more guys go down last week and guys had to step in and get the job done. We got down 14-0. We didn’t blink. This team has good chemistry. We want to do whatever it takes to win and showed.”

Romo is expected to miss two more games with the fractured bone in his back and return for the Oct. 30 game against the Philadelphia Eagles following the bye. If the Cowboys can somehow keep the streak going against Cincinnati Bengals (2-2) and the Green Bay Packers (2-1) the next two weeks, the Cowboys might have a decision to make.

But rather than worry about an impending quarterback controversy whenever Romo returns, Jerry Jones talked about how nice it would be to have two good quarterbacks in the playoffs.

Yes, playoffs.

“We know we that we dream of having that kind of dilemma,” Jones said. “I know that everyone associated with it prays that we have that kind of dilemma I would love to have that problem.”

“He’s got good juice, got great timing,” tight end Jason Witten said. “I think over the last four weeks, these last two weeks you’re seeing his trust in timing, the patience that you’re always talking about, when do you need to put your head down and hit it, and when do you need to slow and let it open up.”

The maligned Cowboys defense, which seemingly had no answers for the 49ers early, only gave up three points in the second half. The 49ers opened the game 7 of 7 on third downs but converted only one of their final eight.

Cornerback Morris Claiborne’s first interception since 2014 set up a 22-yard field goal from Dan Bailey to make the score 24-17 with 4:11 left in the game as the Cowboys ended the game on a 24-3 run.

“Great illustration of what he is all about, what this team’s all about, what we build each and every day,” Garrett said of Claiborne. “Mo’s overcome a lot throughout his career. He’s playing the best football of his career. Makes the big interception. Makes the big tackle. he’s a tough guy. He’s a mentally tough. He’s physically tough. He did a damn good job.”

Garrett could say the same about his team.

It was the 49ers who let the Cowboys back in the game when safety Jacquiski Tartt was flagged for a late hit on Prescott after a sack on third down in the second quarter.

Prescott hit receiver Terrance Williams with a perfect back-shoulder fade for a 20-yard touchdown with 2:58 left in the half.

Prescott got the ball back at the 1:50 mark.

He completed 8 of 10 passes for 58 yards on the drive, capped by a 4-yard touchdown pass to Butler to make the score 14-14 at the half.

The Cowboys never looked back.

“The mojo is good right now,” Witten said. “Even when there’s a lot of room to improve, you’re down 14-0, and then to rally back. It says a lot about the character, it really does, and we’ve just got to keep moving forward.”

This story was originally published October 2, 2016 at 6:49 PM with the headline "Replacement Cowboys keep winning streak alive, beat 49ers 24-17."