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          49ers' George Kittle reels in three TDs against Cowboys on SNF

          • Nick Wagoner, ESPN Staff WriterOct 8, 2023, 10:35 PM ET
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              Nick Wagoner is an NFL reporter at ESPN. Nick has covered the San Francisco 49ers and the NFL at ESPN since 2016, having previously covered the St. Louis Rams for 12 years, including three years (2013 to 2015) at ESPN. In his 10 years with the company, Nick has led ESPN's coverage of the Niners' 2019 Super Bowl run, Colin Kaepernick's protest, the Rams making Michael Sam the first openly gay player drafted to the NFL, Sam's subsequent pursuit of a roster spot and the team's relocation and stadium saga. You can follow Nick via Twitter @nwagoner
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          SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The San Francisco 49ers' offense picked up where it left off last week, taking the opening drive 75 yards on seven plays, capped by a little improvisation by quarterback Brock Purdy.

          With the aid of a couple of Dallas Cowboys penalties, the Niners quickly marched to the Cowboys' 19-yard line. On first-and-10, Purdy took the snap and scanned the field. While Cowboys defenders closed in, Purdy escaped to the right, as tight end George Kittle came open in the back of the end zone.

          Purdy lofted a perfect pass to a wide-open Kittle, who hauled it in for the 19-yard touchdown.

          It was Purdy's sixth scoring toss and Kittle's first touchdown on the season.

          Kicker Jake Moody knocked in the extra point for a 7-0 lead with 11:10 left in the opening quarter.

          For Purdy and Kittle's second touchdown of the night, Niners coach Kyle Shanahan went deep into his bag of tricks.

          On first-and-10 from Dallas' 38, Purdy handed it off to running back Christian McCaffrey, who pitched it back to receiver Deebo Samuel on the reverse.

          As Samuel started to run, he pitched it back to Purdy on a flea flicker. Purdy gathered himself and found a wide-open Kittle streaking down the right sideline. He hauled it in and raced to the end zone for a 38-yard touchdown.

          Moody's second extra point made it 14-0 with a little more than 13 minutes left in the second quarter.

          This was the second time in Kittle's career he caught two touchdowns in the first half, following his performance at Seattle in 2021.

          After Dallas managed a field goal on its first possession of the second half, the Niners responded right back by reviving the Purdy-Kittle connection. On third-and-2 from Dallas' 10, Purdy rolled to his left, squared his shoulders and found Kittle coming loose in the end zone for their third score of the night.

          It's the first three-touchdown game of Kittle's career, and he is the first Niner since Vernon Davis in 2009 to have three receiving scores in a game.

          The extra point made it 28-10 with 7:16 left in the third quarter.