49ers fall to 0-7, and this time they aren’t even close
Loss is biggest ever at Levi’s; S.F. matches worst start.
Quarterback C.J. Beathard’s first start, linebacker Reuben Foster’s ballyhooed return and an emotional halftime ceremony honoring Dwight Clark could not rescue the winless 49ers on Sunday.
Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott, still fighting an NFL suspension, produced three touchdowns and ran for 148 yards to lead a 40-10 rout of the 49ers. It was the team’s worst loss at Levi’s Stadium and its worst against the Cowboys since 1980, the year before Clark made “The Catch” to
NEXT GAME
Sunday: 49ers (0-7) at Philadelphia (5-1), 10 a.m. Fox launch the 49ers’ dynasty.
At 0-7, the 49ers have matched the worst start in franchise history, that coming in 1979 under first-year coach Bill Walsh. Kyle Shanahan’s next shot at his first NFL coaching victory will come next Sunday on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles, who take a 5-1 record into Monday night’s home game against Washington.
Beathard and Foster, the promising rookies, took the brunt of the punishment from the Cowboys (3-
3), with Beathard getting sacked five times and Foster leaving with a thirdquarter rib injury.
“Yeah, we are 0-7. There’s only one way to go, and that’s up,” Beathard said. “And we’ve got a lot of season left ahead of us to get better, turn the season around and make something out of it.”
The 49ers had lost a NFL-record five straight games by three points or less prior to this rout, which was all but decided by halftime, when they trailed 20-3.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do to turn this whole organization around,” said DeForest Buckner, who had two pass breakups on the opening series.
Key impressions
FOSTER HURT AGAIN >> Foster’s rib injury forced him out of action in the second half, but Shanahan said he opted not to send Foster back in after doctors cleared a potential return.
“He’s too important, and I want to make sure we have him next week,” said Shanahan, cautioning that a follow-up exam Monday could impact Foster’s availability.
Playing for the first time since a high-ankle sprain in the season opener, Foster showed signs of a rib injury in the third quarter after tackling Elliott on a 5-yard run that pushed the Cowboys star over the 100-yard rushing mark. Foster returned one snap later, but he needed trainers to again escort him off once he failed to stop Dak Prescott’s 1-yard touchdown run that pushed the deficit to 33-3.
“I really don’t know,” Foster said of the injury’s severity. “I’ve got to come in, get an MRI scan, have treatment and hear what the doctors say.”
Foster showed on at least one play the type of eye-opening ability the 49ers desperately need from him or anyone on their team, and that’s when he stood up Elliott for a 1-yard loss to open the second quarter. BEATHARD HAMMERED >> Beathard got sacked four times by halftime, and he fumbled on sack No. 5 to conclude the third quarter. He finished 22 of 38 for 235 yards — the most by a 49ers rookie QB in his first start — and a 76.1 passer rating.
His most successful pass was a 48-yard completion to Marquise Goodwin. But a third-down sack quickly ruined that potential scoring drive at the end of the first quarter.
DeMarcus Lawrence’s strip-sack of Beathard foiled a second-quarter drive, when Goodwin broke free for a potential touchdown.
“Good or bad, (by) playing, C.J. will learn from it,” Shanahan said. “He’s a tough kid. By no means was he perfect. He did make some plays, and some he missed, too.”
Beathard produced his first NFL touchdown run on a 4-yard journey with 6:14 remaining. He used that mobility early in the game when, on third-and-1, he ran for a 16-yard gain on a zone-read call.
“The type of kid C.J. is, the type of competitor he is, it’s going to be good tomorrow to sit down and watch the tape with him and really coach him up,” Shanahan said. EZEKIEL ELLIOTT IS GOOD >> His six-game suspension still on hold in the judicial system, Elliott rushed for two touchdowns in the first quarter. After first scoring from 1-yard out, Elliott returned on the next series to dash right through a massive gap on a 25-yard touchdown run.
Elliott extended the Cowboys lead to 27-3 with a 72-yard touchdown reception down the right sideline, carrying Dontae Johnson across the goal line in the process.
“Zeke, he’s a phenomenal player,” Foster said. “He’s all around. He can go A gap, B gap. It doesn’t matter what scheme you run. He’s a freakish player about finding the gaps and really playing good football.” DEFENSIVE STRANGERS >> Who expected in Week 7 the 49ers defensive ends would be Xavier Cooper, Leger Douzable and Tony McDaniel? Douzable, signed Tuesday, started at left defensive end, the result of Arik Armstead going on injured reserve last week with a hand fracture and Aaron Lynch being inactivated because of a calf injury.
The 49ers failed to produce a sack for the third straight game. COSTLY TURNOVER >> The Cowboys converted a fumbled punt return by Trent Taylor into their first touchdown after three consecutive runs by Elliott.
“They definitely handled their business and we’ve got a long way to go,” said Taylor, a rookie. “Whenever you have a crucial turnover like that, it’s going to sting more.”
Honorable mention
49ERS RB CARLOS HYDE >> He was no match for Elliott, another product of the Ohio State running back factory, but he ran hard for 68 yards on 14 carries with a long of 16. COWBOYS WR DEZ BRYANT >> He caught seven of 10 targets for 63 yards, including his 71st career touchdown, tying him with Bob Hayes for No. 1 on the Cowboys all-time list.