Pick up the pick game

SANTA CLARA, California. – After seemingly outplaying the 49ers in the first half and holding a slight lead at halftime, the Cowboys suffered a bottom-of-the-table exit in the third quarter.

The 49ers dominated early in the second half, outscoring Dallas 21-0 and taking control of the game. The Cowboys had their chances and almost came back in the fourth period, but fell short.

Here are five hidden plays that could have changed the outcome.

Early imbalance for Samuel's big win – The Cowboys had a chance to get off the field on the 49ers' first possession early in the game. But on third-and-six at their own 17-yard line, the 49ers had Deebo Samuel connect with linebacker Eric Kendricks and hit him with the versatile receiver for a 36-yard gain down the right sideline. Not only did that flip the field and lead to a San Francisco field goal, it also set the tone for several plays in which Samuel broke through to great advantage in the open field.

Aubrey's short kickoff sets up the 49ers – It's not like the 49ers need a lot of help moving the ball, but in the first half they had trouble completing their drives and only made two field goals. So Brandon Aubrey's gift on the second-half kickoff to dribble the kick to the 22-yard line served as a penalty and boost for the 49ers, who began the third quarter at the 40-yard line. It didn't take long for them to reach the end zone and gain a 13-10 lead.

Turpin's illegal forward pass – After the 49ers went for a rushing touchdown in the third quarter, the Cowboys tried a little special teams trick that backfired. In the last two games, Turpin has faked a reverse handoff on his returns, including once on Sunday night. But on that play, he threw the ball to CJ Goodwin, who returned it across the 30-yard line. However, Turpin threw the ball forward to Goodwin, negating the play and forcing the offense back to their own 11. The Cowboys did not move the ball and had to punt, leading to another score for the 49ers midway through the third quarter.

Pick play recorded – The 49ers engineered a perfectly engineered pick play on the goal line to free up George Kittle for a touchdown. First, two officials saw the same thing – Donovan Wilson was run over by 49ers receiver Chris Conley. But after discussion, the referees decided against an offensive pass interference and allowed the touchdown to stand, giving the 49ers a commanding 10-point lead.

Cowboys don't get yards – Miraculously, the Cowboys had a chance to win the game in the final three minutes. But they never gained a single yard, so they decide to make the play that could have changed the game. On the second and tenth attempts, Prescott appeared to have some room to climb and run, making the third and fourth attempts easier to complete. Whatever the case, the Cowboys couldn't even start a drive with a single yard, so they saw their comeback bid fail.