The San Francisco 49ers finally reset their season to 4-4 after beating the Dallas Cowboys in their Week 8 matchup for Sunday Night Football. Moreover, the team lost Jordan Mason (left shoulder) and Deebo Samuel (rib) to injury during the game, after star wideout Brandon Aiyuk suffered a season-ending knee injury . Still, the team squeaked out a 30-24 victory, despite threatening another late-game meltdown. Afterward, several of the 49ers players and staff hugged former teammate Trey Lance, whom they traded to the Cowboys in 2023.
“You can’t fake this,” posted the SFNiners account on X, formerly Twitter, for the accompanying video of the team showing love to their ex-teammate. “Nearly every player and member of 49ers staff came by to give Trey Lance a hug. Clearly loved within the organization.”
Week 8: 49ers def. Cowboys
In August 2023, the 49ers traded Trey Lance to the Cowboys for a fourth-round pick after the team named Brock Purdy as the starting quarterback and now-Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold as his backup.
This situation was far from ideal for the former No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 class, so the trade gave Lance a fresh start, playing behind Dak Prescott.
While Lance’s time with the 49ers turned him from a high-ceiling prospect to a third-stringer then trade material shipped off the roster, there still seems to be a lot of mutual love and respect between him and the organization.
Still, it was Purdy who led the 49ers to victory against the Cowboys in Week 8, bouncing back from a cold first half to lead three touchdown drives in the third quarter.
Moreover, the team narrowly avoided another fourth-quarter defensive meltdown to stop Dallas’ comeback attempt.
“We’re a confident team,” left tackle Trent Williams said after the game, via Josh Dubow for the Associated Press. “We know that we haven’t played to our standard that many times in these first eight games. I don’t think that we were looking at this game to draw some newfound confidence. I just think that when we can run the ball effectively and not turn it over, the results today are what we can expect.”
With a 4-4 record, the 49ers have virtually gained a fresh start heading into the second half of the season. This win could give them enough momentum to make a push toward the postseason, but they’ll have a bye week to recalibrate.
Afterward, they’ll play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 10.
