Mike McCarthy makes promise he can't keep after Cowboys' loss to 49ers

You know the vibes are bad when Dallas Cowboys fans couldn't even bring themselves to get excited for Sunday's game against the San Francisco 49ers.

While the 49ers are decimated by injuries, it did not matter. They still dominated Dallas until Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb brought the Cowboys within one score late in the fourth quarter. They even had a chance to take the lead with a touchdown, but Prescott threw four straight incompletions to effectively end the game.

The same things that have plagued Dallas all season reared their ugly head. They were gashed against the run, couldn't run the ball on offense, Prescott had two more turnovers, special teams penalties piled up in bunches, and CeeDee Lamb proved he is the entire offense.

That is an indictment on everyone: Mike McCarthy and the entire coaching staff, the players' performances and the front office's roster construction.

The formula to beat the Cowboys is clear as day. Despite that, and the team's shortcomings, McCarthy preached a predictable message after the loss.

Mike McCarthy has maddening postgame quote after Cowboys' loss to 49ers

“...We did some things, but we got to stop the run and stay committed to the run for four quarters," McCarthy said, via The Athletic's Jon Machota. "Until we get that pattern working cohesively together, we’re not playing to our strength.

“That’s a huge part of complementary football. We’re losing the turnover ratio week in and week out and we’re not being able to stop the run and stay committed to the run for four quarters. That’s how we have to play. That’s how we’re going to play. We need to be better at it.”

This is typical coachspeak from McCarthy, but the Cowboys aren't going to magically start playing complementary football.

It felt like for most of the game that Dallas' run defense improved, particularly in the first half. Then you look up at the end and they allowed 223 rushing yards. Christian McCaffrey did not play and it did not matter. Third-string rookie Isaac Guerendo rushed for 86 yards on 6.1 yards per clip after taking over for the injured Jordan Mason.

Getting Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence and Marshawn Kneeland back from injury will help significantly, but the struggles were there when they were healthy.

Regardless, it is impossible for the Cowboys to stay committed to the run. Not only are they often trailing in the second half, but the running game has no juice. Dallas rushed 19 times for 56 yards Sunday night. The formula worked for two and a half quarters before the wheels came off.

The worst part is Prescott is back to turning the ball over at a high rate. That is not cohesive to winning for most upper-echelon teams, let alone a deeply flawed roster. Prescott has historically taken great care of the football, but he is pressing to make things happen because the offense doesn't have an explosive element.

McCarthy's formula simply isn't sustainable for a full game, largely due to his own coaching, personnel issues and poor performances up and down the roster.

While we understand the message McCarthy is trying to send, he made a promise he can't keep after Dallas dropped to 3-4.

More Cowboys news and analysis