Mike McCarthy on first-half struggles against 49ers

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy spoke at halftime about the struggles his team faced in the first half against the San Francisco 49ers. Dallas opened their playoff run with an extremely slow start, falling down 10-0 in the first quarter. By halftime, the Cowboys offense began to find some rhythm as they entered the break 16-7.

Mike McCarthy on first half against 49ers

“It’s the self-inflicted wounds we have to stop,” McCarthy said of the Cowboys’ first half. “We have to get a score here on this first drive.”

Unfortunately for McCarthy, Dallas did not get the second-half start they wanted despite a major penalty to the 49ers. After a quick punt, the 49ers committed a roughing the kicker penalty that gave the Cowboys a second chance to start the second half with points. Ultimately, Dallas settled for another punt, continuing their struggles.

Dallas struggled immediately to put together any meaningful offense in the first quarter, picking up only one first down in two drives. Meanwhile, the physical offense of San Francisco opened the game with a 75-yard drive for a touchdown.

Although the Cowboys defense tightened up and didn’t allow another touchdown in the first half, big plays by the 49ers kept them in field goal range. San Francisco scored on every single drive of the first half, entering the break with a 16-7 lead.

Both teams suffered injury scares during the game as well, with Cowboys star rookie Micah Parsons appearing to injure himself early. After missing a few plays while checked by the medical staff, Parsons returned to the game and appeared to be healthy.

Late in the second quarter, 49ers star pass rusher Nick Bosa collided with a teammate awkwardly and was taken into the medical tent for examination. As of halftime, there was no update on Bosa’s status, but he could be seen walking around on the sideline afterwards with his gear still on. Shortly afterwards, Bosa entered the locker room early for further evaluation. As the teams returned to the field after halftime, Bosa was still not on the sideline.