Golden Nuggets: Victory Monday hits different when it’s the Cowboys

Purdy steers 49ers to rivalry rout over Cowboys

“Purdy’s ability has been in question since the 49ers made him Mr. Irrelevant. Is his arm strong enough? Can he lead a team to the Super Bowl? Is he just a system quarterback?

With just about every opportunity, Purdy has answered in the affirmative. As a quarterback in Shanahan’s system, his job will always be slightly different than other quarterbacks. In most ways, it’ll be easier. Yet as the engineer of one of two remaining undefeated teams, Purdy has done everything asked of him.”

What we learned as Purdy, Kittle fuel 49ers’ destruction of Cowboys

“McCaffrey extended his streak of consecutive games with a touchdown to 14 with a 1-yard run late in the second quarter. He joined Dallas’ Emmitt Smith as the only other NFL player of the past 40 years with a touchdown streak that long.”

Barrows: How a 49ers play called ‘Gumby’ unleashed George Kittle and throttled the Cowboys (paywall)

“It’s called “Gumby” because it’s meant to look like one of the stretch-zone runs to the sideline that are a staple of the 49ers’ rushing attack, plays that are led by Kittle blocking on the edge.

There were two problems after Brock Purdy called it in the huddle, the first being that the Cowboys lined up in a five-man front.

“That’s a pretty tough look to get it off against,” tackle Trent Williams said. “When you call it, though, you don’t have any checks (out of) it. You kind of have to live with it.”

The second was that the play clock already was winding down when the 49ers broke the huddle. When the offense had practiced the play during the week, Kittle explained, the ball was snapped only after Purdy pretended like he was changing it to a new play.

Against the Cowboys, the ball had to be snapped on Purdy’s first “hut.” Everyone took off on time except for right tackle Colton McKivitz, who still thought it was going to be on Purdy’s second “hut.” That required Kittle to linger at the line of scrimmage longer than designed to help block the defensive end.”

Thompson: Fred Warner, 49ers humble Cowboys and look like NFL’s best doing so (paywall)

“We just got a glimpse of them at their peak and they appeared insurmountable.”

Kawakami: Case closed — Brock Purdy and the 49ers are very good and only getting better (paywall)

“Is Purdy destined to be a Pro Bowl QB by the middle of next season, the end of this one or could it be even sooner than that? Could it have already happened?”

Brock Purdy, George Kittle connect for 3 TDs in 49ers’ historic beatdown of Cowboys (paywall)

“It was expected to be a potential instant classic pitting teams that had met in the playoffs the previous two seasons, with the 49ers emerging with one-score wins.

Instead, the 49ers’ 32-point of margin of victory was the largest in the 40-game series history with the Cowboys. It topped the 49ers’ 45-14 win over Dallas in 1981.”