Fred Warner owned the Dallas Cowboys in a dominant San Francisco 49ers win

Fred Warner is already known as one of the premier defenders in the NFL.

On Sunday night, though, the San Francisco 49ers’ All-Pro linebacker played a starring role in a 42-10 victory over the Dallas Cowboys in primetime.

Warner, the sixth-year pro out of BYU, had a team-high eight tackles and made contributions across the stat sheet for San Francisco. 

He finished with one sack (for a 6-yard loss), a quarterback hurry, one tackle for loss, one pass deflection and caused two turnovers — one an interception, the other a forced fumble.

Warner had a direct message about what the victory said about the 49ers, who improved to 5-0 on the year and are one of just two teams — the Philadelphia Eagles being the other — who are still unbeaten.

“That we’re dangerous. It’s not even about the other teams to us, it’s about us. Every single game, it’s all about us,” he told reporters. “We understand the opportunity that we have and it’s just about taking it one week at a time, regardless of who we’re playing.

“We’ve got to uphold the standard and play to the best of our ability every single game. If we do that, we’ll like the result.”

Warner’s first big impact play of the night came late in the first quarter, when he punched the ball loose from Dallas running back Tony Pollard deep in Cowboys territory, and 49ers teammate Kevin Givens recovered the ball near the sideline.

On the Cowboys’ next possession, Warner sacked Dallas quarterback Dax Prescott for a 6-yard yard loss at the Cowboys 4-yard line on a third-and-2 play, forcing a punt. On the first play of the 49ers’ ensuing possession, San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy hit George Kittle for a 38-yard touchdown pass to give the 49ers a 14-0 lead.

Early in the fourth quarter, Warner had another momentum-swinging play in Dallas territory. This time, he intercepted a tipped Prescott pass at the Cowboys 38 and returned the pick 12 yards. That set up the final score of the night — a 26-yard touchdown run from Jordan Mason.

San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner celebrates after intercepting a pass during the second half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023.

Godofredo A. Vásquez, Associated Press

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San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner, left, sacks Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott during the first half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023.

Godofredo A. Vásquez, Associated Press

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San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner (54) celebrates after the 49ers defeated the Dallas Cowboys in an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 8, 2023.

Jed Jacobsohn, Associated Press

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Another former BYU linebacker, Kyle Van Noy, who’s now playing for the Baltimore Ravens, gave a shoutout to Warner, one of several noteworthy responses on social media to Warner’s masterful night.