The Dallas Cowboys suffered a crushing defeat in Week 5 of the 2023 NFL season. The Cowboys were expected to be contenders this year, but their performance on Sunday night left much to be desired. In this article, we will identify four Dallas Cowboys personnel to blame for the loss and analyze their individual performances.

The Dallas Cowboys Week 5 Loss

The Cowboys suffered a humiliating 42-10 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 5 of the 2023 NFL season. The Cowboys were hoping to prove themselves after back-to-back playoff losses to the 49ers. Instead, they were outplayed in all three phases of the game. The 49ers' defense put pressure on Dak Prescott from the start, and the Cowboys struggled to gain momentum. Although Prescott responded with a 26-yard TD pass to KaVontae Turpin in the second quarter, the Cowboys fell apart in the second half. This led to their most lopsided loss in 10 years and the biggest ever against the 49ers.

The loss raises questions about whether the Cowboys are a viable threat to get back to the Super Bowl for the first time in more than a quarter-century. The Cowboys failed to net 200 yards of offense and gave up 422 to the 49ers, and their defense was subpar from the opening drive of the game. The loss effectively put an end to Dallas' hopes of winning the NFC. Remember that they are now three games behind the 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Here we will look at the four Dallas Cowboys personnel to blame for their Week 5 blowout loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

1. Dak Prescott

Prescott wanted to use previous losses as motivation to win this matchup. He ended up playing just like he did in those previous matches.

His first two drives were nervy. Despite bouncing back for some momentum late in the second quarter, he reverted to how he started and ended up having a nightmare outing. Prescott completed just 14-for-24 passes for 153 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions.

Prescott has a new terrible outing against the 49ers to replace the previous two in his memory banks. His 51.6 passer rating in Week 5 ranks as the sixth-worst of his career and his three interceptions were his most in a single game in four years. While the second pick could be attributed to Michael Gallup, his other two came on terrible passes. All three came in the second half with the Cowboys trying desperately to play catch-up. Still, Prescott’s overall performance was simply unforgivable. This was given the huge buildup and high stakes surrounding what the quarterback readily admitted was a massive measuring stick game for the club.

2. Jayron Kearse

Safety Jayron Kearse had an uncharacteristically poor performance versus the 49ers. This is despite a stat line that shows four tackles, two TFLs, a sack, and a quarterback hit. The safety committed two silly penalties on the night. His first, an offside call, moved the sticks for the 49ers instead of bringing up fourth down. His second, for taunting, was declined only because of another Dallas infraction. This was indicative of the sloppy and undisciplined play that defined the Cowboys' secondary all night.

3. Donovan Wilson

Free safety Donovan Wilson got the game off on a bad note. He grabbed Christian McCaffrey’s face mask and cost the Cowboys 15 extra yards on the very first snap from scrimmage. His outing didn’t get much better afterward. He just looked out of position several times and seemed to make most of his seven tackles on the night by arriving to the play well after the damage had been done. He was rolled up on with under five minutes left in the fourth quarter and had to be helped off the field with the team already down by 32.

4. Coach Mike McCarthy

Coaching was also an issue. Trailing by 14 points and having only stopped the 49ers offense on a drive where McCaffrey fumbled, Mike McCarthy sent out the punt team on fourth-and-2 from his own 42-yard line. On the Cowboys' opening drive of the second half, they chose to run the ball on third-and-5 from just outside the 30-yard line. After that, they kicked a field goal instead of going for it. Naturally, the Niners immediately drove for a touchdown and pushed their lead to three scores. The game never got closer than that.

McCarthy then made it a point to take more deep shots, but most were to no avail. They felt forced. We saw a largely horizontal offense against two of the NFL's best off-ball linebackers Fred Warner and Dre Greenlaw. Whatever the offensive game plan was, it played right into San Francisco's strengths.

The Cowboys passing game just hasn't looked prolific all season. Again, Prescott turned in surgical performances in the wins vs the Jets and Patriots. However, we don't see the explosive plays anywhere. The numbers have done a lot to mask the struggles, but the actual on-field performance doesn't add up. Not surprisingly, Cowboys fans' collective patience is wearing thin with their coach.

Looking Ahead

The Dallas Cowboys' Week 5 loss to the San Francisco 49ers was a disappointing performance for a team that was expected to be a contender this season. Several factors contributed to the loss. These included poor play from quarterback Dak Prescott and the defense's inability to stop the 49ers' offense. Of course, head coach Mike McCarthy will need to make adjustments to the defense if the Cowboys hope to turn their season around, too.