2 weeks Ago By Nicholas McGee, A to Z Sports
The San Francisco 49ers appeared set to win by a lot more than six points against Dallas Cowboys when they led by 17 in the fourth quarter. However, after Dallas' failed attempt at a comeback, one touchdown-saving play much earlier in the game took on increased importance. San Francisco held on to win 30-24 , a game in which Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott threw two touchdowns in the final frame to CeeDee Lamb, marking the 49ers' fourth straight win over the Cowboys (including postseason).
A nervy ending would have been even more precarious if not for a play made by fourth-round rookie safety Malik Mustapha. With Dallas threatening to take a 14-3 lead with 3:49 remaining in the second quarter, Mustapha produced heroics at the catch point to prevent Brevyn Spann-Ford from hauling in a touchdown pass from Prescott. Mustapha then popped up with another play on the next snap to force a Dallas field goal, he and Renardo Green tracking down tight end Jake Ferguson to stop him for the gain of just a yard on third down, the ball jarred free by second-rounder Green.
Ferguson jumped on the ball to recover it, but Mustapha's plays ensured the Cowboys missed the chance to put the 49ers in a huge hole. From there, the 49ers scored 24 unanswered points to take control. #49ers Malik Mustapha kept 6 points off the board with this PBU pic.
twitter.com/m9reLrUpJ2 Mustapha's contributions were salt in the wound for Dallas, the former Wake Forest star thriving in a starting role having been taken with pick 124, the one the Cowboys deal to the 49ers in exchange for Trey Lance . While Mustapha was making plays, Lance was watching from the sideline as the Cowboys' emergency third quarterback, the contrast encapsulating the 49ers' position as winners in their trade of Lance last August.
That is no knock on Lance, and praising for 49ers for any move connected to a quarterback on whom they spent three first-round picks is difficult to do. But the Niners were right to cut their losses and get something back, and that decision to accept Lance as a sunk cost appears to have netted them a long-term starter in the secondary. This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.
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