The 49ers put the rest of the NFL on notice by annihilating the Dallas Cowboys 42-10 on “Sunday Night Football” at Levi’s Stadium.
San Francisco (5-0) remained undefeated with the resounding win. So far this season, coach Kyle Shanahan’s bunch has proved they are a step above the rest of the league and will be one of the favorites to represent the NFC in Super Bowl LVIII.
The Cowboys’ best player, however, isn’t so convinced.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
“I don’t think they’re really a higher level than us,” star pass rusher Micah Parsons told reporters in the locker room after the game. “I think we’re the same caliber playoff team. Same talent, same standards as them. I just feel like we need to really reconsider some things, get together and fix some things.
“I feel like it was a few plays away. The score don’t really shape what really happened out there.”
The score ended up being the 49ers' biggest margin of victory in their historic rivalry with the Cowboys. San Francisco out-gained Dallas by over 200 total yards, won the turnover battle 4-1 and benched its starters early in the fourth quarter.
"I just feel like there was nothing that they did, besides us beating ourselves," Parsons said. "You look at the third down, I jump offsides, and then they get seven [points] five plays later. … I feel like we beat ourselves. Good teams like this, if you beat yourselves it shows in magnitude.
San Francisco 49ers
Find the latest San Francisco 49ers news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
"Today, we were the four-turnover team. We were the team that couldn’t get off the field. But I don’t think we’re off the same caliber at all."
The Cowboys fell to 3-2 on the season, with losses to the 49ers and Arizona Cardinals. Their wins over the bottom-dwelling New York Jets, New York Giants and New England Patriots -- three teams with a combined record of 4-11 through five weeks -- are looking less impressive as the season grows older.
But Parsons is remaining positive. On a night where he was limited to four tackles and no sacks, Parsons insists he's keeping the bigger picture in mind. The Cowboys simply learned lessons Sunday night in Santa Clara.
"Sometimes, you’ve got to look at these losses as a blessing and just say, ‘Thank you,' " Parsons said.