Cowboys vs. 49ers: Postgame Grades, Notes and Quotes for San Francisco

The San Francisco 49ers enjoyed a 23-6 preseason win over the Dallas Cowboys in their 2015 Levi's Stadium debut on Saturday night.

Field conditions were a part of the concern leading into the contest, as were some of the 49ers' issues from their first exhibition contest against the Houston Texans a week before. But neither the field nor a general lack of consistency hampered San Francisco's efforts against its longtime rival.

San Francisco held Dallas scoreless until the fourth quarter. And the 49ers also enjoyed some standout defensive play from a number of noteworthy cast members.

Linebacker NaVorro Bowman saw his first snaps since the 2014 NFC Championship game two seasons ago. Rookie safety Jaquiski Tartt had some big hits. And nose tackle Mike Purcell continued his strong preseason campaign with an interception returned for a touchdown.

The 49ers also enjoyed another amazing showing from running back Jarryd Hayne, who answered a lot of questions regarding whether or not he should make the final 53-man roster.

Despite San Francisco's inability to score an offensive touchdown, the 49ers' efforts hinted at this franchise being better than what many may have perceived.

Position Grades for 49ers

Ben Margot/Associated Press

Wide receiver Quinton Patton scored his first preseason touchdown on a blocked punt in the fourth quarter.

Position	Grade
QB	C
RB	B+
WR	D
TE	B
OL	B
DL	A
LB	A-
DB	A
Special Teams	A+
Coaching	B

San Francisco's defense was on display from the first play from scrimmage. 

Linebacker NaVorro Bowman stuffed Cowboys running back Darren McFadden for a loss on the former's first play since being injured in the NFC Championship Game two seasons ago.

But Bowman wasn't the only defensive star over the course of the game. Nose tackle Mike Purcell, who is vying for a depth spot along the 49ers defensive line, posted one quarterback hit and also recorded an interception that was returned 37 yards for a touchdown.

Defensive backs Dontae Johnson and Craig Dahl also had an interception apiece.

In all, the 49ers defense allowed just 257 all-purpose yards over the course of the game.

On offense, San Francisco enjoyed a strong ground attack with running backs Jarryd Hayne, Carlos Hyde and rookie Mike Davis leading the way. Hayne continued his amazing NFL showcase with 54 rushing yards on eight carries—an average of 6.8 yards per attempt.

He also averaged 28 yards on three punt returns, which could signify a probable role on the 49ers' 53-man roster this season.

Wide receiver Quinton Patton's blocked punt for a touchdown also helped give San Francisco's special teams unit a high grade.

But the passing game wasn't exactly stellar. San Francisco quarterbacks completed 11 passes on 17 attempts for just 50 yards. Aside from tight end Busta Anderson's two-catch, 32-yard effort, the 49ers' receiving targets were not huge factors.

And the 49ers had just four third-down conversions on 16 attempts and were 0-of-3 in red-zone appearances. 

Jarryd Hayne Answers More Questions

Rookie running back Jarryd Hayne ripped off a 53-yard run against the Houston Texans in Week 1 of the preseason. Combined with a strong effort in the return game, Hayne's NFL debut seemed to indicate the former rugby star would be a shoo-in for San Francisco's regular-season roster, right?

But Hayne still has a long way to go as he competes alongside fellow backs Carlos Hyde, Reggie Bush, Kendall Hunter, Kendall Gaskins and Mike Davis.

Yet Hayne backed up his Week 1 effort with another amazing performance against Dallas—an aspect viewed in the above video following the game.

Hayne has 117 rushing yards on 11 carries over two preseason games, per Taylor Price of 49ers.com.

Head coach Jim Tomsula is still attempting to downplay Hayne's efforts, though—a smart move given that these two contests are still just preseason bouts and largely against second-tier defenses.

"He’s never played the game and is in the conversation to make the 53 man roster," Tomsula said, per Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News. "That’s the story."

Still, it's impossible to ignore Hayne's efforts right now. And the 49ers are in need of good stories at the start of this season.

Offensive Consistency Is Still an Issue

Ben Margot/Associated Press

San Francisco's offense wasn't particularly stellar against Dallas on Sunday.

As one might figure, the 49ers defense is still the strength of this team. San Francisco's defense held the Cowboys to six points and 257 total yards during the contest.

But on offense, the 49ers continued to struggle with their rhythm. 

While their effort was much better than a week ago in Houston, the 49ers were only able to amass 205 all-purpose yards over four quarters. And most of those came from San Francisco's rushing attack—155 yards on the ground.

San Francisco made it into the red zone three times on Saturday but came away with zero touchdowns and only field goals to show for its offensive scoring.

Third-down conversions were also problematic for the red and gold. The 49ers had just four of these in 16 attempts, which is still better than the 1-of-9 seen last week against the Texans.

Wide receiver Quinton Patton led all receiving targets with three receptions. But his average was just 0.7 yards after the third-year receiver decided to cut back following a catch to avoid being tackled near the line of scrimmage. 

The poor decision can be viewed here courtesy of 95.7 The Game's John Middlekauff.

Offensive coordinator Geep Chryst enjoyed much better results with his up-tempo scheme, but the end results were less than desirable. 

Perhaps Chryst is still keeping his offense playing at a very basic level. Or this could be the nature of San Francisco's offensive efforts heading into the regular season.

Let's hope for the former.

NaVorro Bowman Looks to Be in Midseason Form

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

Linebacker NaVorro Bowman dropped Cowboys running back Darren McFadden for a loss on the first play of the game from scrimmage.

Perennial All-Pro linebacker NaVorro Bowman might have missed a lot of football since the gruesome knee injury suffered in the 2014 NFC Championship Game against the Seattle Seahawks two seasons ago.

But he didn't look slowed by the recovery at all versus Dallas.

Bowman played on just the first three defensive snaps for San Francisco. And his stat line boasted three tackles—two of which were for a loss.

Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area broke down the plays:

"

Bowman smothered Dallas Cowboys running back Darren McFadden for a one-yard gain on his first snap in game action since sustaining torn ligaments in his left knee in the NFC Championship game against Seattle in January 2014.

After 19 months, Bowman played three snaps against the Cowboys and -– of course -– recorded three tackles. After his solo tackle on first down, Bowman and fellow inside linebacker Nick Moody teamed up to drop McFadden for a one-yard loss. On third down, Bowman tackled Lance Dunbar for a one-yard loss on a pass from quarterback Tony Romo.

"

Three snaps is a far cry from being able to handle the rigors of four full quarters, let alone a 16-game season.

Yet the 49ers will need all they can get out of Bowman after losing inside linebackers Patrick Willis and Chris Borland to retirement this offseason.

And Bowman appears ready for the challenge.

Jim Tomsula on Jarryd Hayne

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Head coach Jim Tomsula is still hesitant to state running back Jarryd Hayne will make the final roster.

Running back Jarryd Hayne might have taken another large step in ensuring a spot on the 49ers' 53-man roster this season. It's impossible to ignore what the Australian star has done during his brief NFL tenure.

Yet head coach Jim Tomsula continues to downplay Hayne's efforts, which essentially force the rookie to continue working hard.

After Hayne's debut in Houston last week, Tomsula stated, per the team's Twitter, that the running back had to "grow from here."

And Tomsula backed up Hayne's second effort with a similar sentiment.

"He's making a great case for himself, but there's still a long way to go," Tomsula reiterated, per the 49ers' Twitter.

Hayne still displays some traits that may not carry over well to the NFL game. He runs upright, which is typical in rugby. Yet that approach may not be the smartest in pro football. His vision is exceptional though, and that alone could be a reason why Hayne winds up being San Francisco's not-so-secret weapon in 2015.

Mike Purcell on His Pick-Six Touchdown Reaction

One of the biggest highlights for the 49ers came in the second quarter when nose tackle Mike Purcell picked off Cowboys quarterback Dustin Vaughan and returned the ball for a 37-yard touchdown.

A defensive lineman rarely gets the opportunity to make such a play. And Purcell's efforts did not go unnoticed by his teammates.

“They were ecstatic," Purcell said of the guys around him, per Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News. "I could hardly catch my breath. Once I got to the bench, I had to get back out there.”

Purcell and the defense did have to take the field shortly after his score. And this unit continued to shut out Dallas until the fourth frame.

The 6'3", 303-pound lineman is battling to earn one of the coveted D-line spots on the 49ers roster.

San Francisco already has plenty of depth up front, which could mean general manager Trent Baalke has a difficult choice to make in regards to the final personnel who fill out this unit. So far, Purcell has done nothing but show that he belongs on the regular-season squad.

NaVorro Bowman on His Return

Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

NaVorro Bowman said he was "a little emotional" upon his return to NFL action.

NaVorro Bowman showed why he is still one of the elite linebackers in the game on Saturday, and he needed just three plays to do it.

Bowman's three-snap, three-tackle performance only tells a part of the story. The rest can be understood from his post-game statements, per Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News.

“It felt great," Bowman said of his return. "Early on in the warm-ups I was a little emotional being back out there and seeing the fans. I missed it.”

The fans assuredly missed him too.

Bowman did want to play more than just three snaps, though. The game marked the first on-field efforts the standout linebacker has had in two seasons.

“I wanted to be out there longer. But it’s early in the year and we have a long road ahead of us. We want to be smart with it.”

Limiting Bowman is a smart move. Recovering from such an injury is not an easy, guaranteed thing. One can still question whether or not Bowman will be able to maintain the same sort of consistency that made him a three-time All-Pro.

But if Saturday's efforts are any indication, Bowman looks as if he'll pick up right where he left off.

All statistics, records and accolades courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com and ESPN.com unless otherwise indicated.

Peter Panacy is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report covering the San Francisco 49ers. Follow him (@PeterPanacy) on Twitter.