A romantic gesture in a heated rivalry
The San Francisco 49ers dominated the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night, winning 42-10 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. But for one Cowboys fan, the night was not a total loss, as she received a surprise proposal from her 49ers-loving boyfriend.
NBC cameras captured the moment when the man, wearing a red Christian McCaffrey jersey, got down on one knee and presented a ring to his girlfriend, who was sporting a blue Dak Prescott jersey. She said yes, and the couple hugged and kissed as the crowd around them cheered.
The proposal was also noticed by the Sunday Night Football commentators, Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth, who had some fun with the situation.
“Not every Cowboy fan is leaving unhappy tonight,” Tirico said.
“Would he have done it if the Cowboys had won? I don’t think so. I think he’s holding the ring. You can’t start a marriage like that, with her having the upper hand. But 49ers win, ‘Here you go, let’s get married,’” Collinsworth joked.
A tale of two teams
The proposal was a rare bright spot for the Cowboys, who suffered their second consecutive loss and fell to 3-2 on the season. The 49ers, on the other hand, improved to 5-0 and remained one of the only two undefeated teams in the NFL, along with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The game was a rematch of last season’s divisional round playoff clash, which the 49ers won 19-12 en route to the NFC Championship Game. This time, the 49ers were even more dominant, as they led 28-3 at halftime and never looked back.
The star of the game was second-year quarterback Brock Purdy, who threw for 252 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. He connected with tight end George Kittle for two scores, and also found wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk in the end zone.
The Cowboys struggled to keep up with the 49ers’ offense, as Prescott threw three interceptions and was sacked four times. Running back Ezekiel Elliott also had a quiet night, rushing for only 47 yards on 12 carries.
Prescott admitted after the game that his team “got punched in the mouth” by the 49ers.
“Didn’t see it coming. Put everything into it and got punched in the mouth. Called it a couple weeks ago humbling against Arizona, but this may be the most humbling [loss] I’ve ever been a part of,” he told reporters.
What’s next for both teams
The Cowboys will try to bounce back next week when they visit the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football. The Chargers are also coming off a loss, as they fell to the Cleveland Browns 34-27 on Sunday.
The 49ers will face a tougher challenge when they host the Baltimore Ravens next Sunday. The Ravens are 4-1 and have won four straight games, including a thrilling 31-28 overtime victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Monday night.
The Ravens are led by reigning MVP Lamar Jackson, who has thrown for 1,507 yards and 13 touchdowns with three interceptions this season. He has also rushed for 341 yards and two scores.
The 49ers will have to rely on their defense, which ranks second in the league in points allowed per game (15.8) and third in yards allowed per game (281.4). They have also recorded 18 sacks and nine turnovers in five games.
The game between the 49ers and the Ravens could be a potential Super Bowl preview, as both teams are among the favorites to win their respective conferences.
