SANTA CLARA, Calif. _ What if someone told you that the Dallas Cowboys would start the season without quarterback Tony Romo, three defensive starters and then play their fourth game without four more starters in wide receivers Dez Bryant, guard La'el Colllins, tackle Tyron Smith and cornerback Orlando Scandrick?
Yet, the Cowboys fashion a 3-1 record with dueling rookie of the year candidates in running back Ezekiel Elliott and quarterback Dak Prescott.
Would you believe it?
Well, there is no need to pinch yourself because this is no dream.
These Cowboys are a real, live 3-1, riding a three-game winning streak, following Sunday's 24-17 comeback victory against the San Francisco 49ers in what might have been their most impressive outing of the season.
Consider the Cowboys came into the game 2-8 all-time in games without Romo and Bryant and they quickly fell behind 14-0 in the second quarter.
But there was no panic.
Not in Prescott, who overcame a slow start with continued unflappable play, completing 23 of 32 passes for 245 yards and two touchdowns.
Prescott has not been intercepted in 131 passes through the first four games of the season.
Romo is expected to miss two more games with the fractured bone in his back and return for the Oct. 30 game against the Philadelphia Eagles following the bye.
And there was no panic in Elliott, who had his best game of the season, rushing for 138 yards and a touchdown. It was Elliott's second consecutive game of more than 100 yards.
The Cowboys, which seemingly had no answers for the 49ers early, only gave up three points in the second half.
Cornerback Morris Claiborne's first interception since 2014 set up a 22-yard field goal from Dan Bailey to make the score 24-17 with 4:11 left in the game as the Cowboys ended the game on a 24-3 run.
The defense turned the ball over on downs with 1:49 left when Claiborne knocked receiver Torrey Smith out bounds short of the first down on the 49ers' fourth-down play.
The start was much different as former TCU star receiver Jeremy Kerley caught a 33-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Blaine Gabbert on the 49ers' opening drive of the game.
Running back Carlos Hyde then capped a 12-play, 80-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown run.
The 49ers converted seven of their first eight third-down chances, as the defense seemingly had no answers.
Ironically, it was the 49ers who let the Cowboys back in the game when safety Jacquiski Tartt was flagged for a late hit on Prescott after a sack on third down.
The Cowboys quickly took advantage of their new life on the drive and put themselves right back in the game.
Prescott hit receiver Terrance Williams with a perfect back-shoulder fade for a 20-yard touchdown.
The defense did its part to shut the 49ers down, giving Prescott the ball back with 1 minute, 50 seconds left in the half.
Prescott completed eight of 10 passes for 58 yards on the drive, capped by a 4-yard touchdown pass to Brice Butler to make the score 14-14 at the half.
Prescott completed 15 of 21 passes for 133 yards and two touchdowns in the first half.
The 49ers opened the second half with a 36-yard field goal.
But the Cowboys took the lead for good when Elliott charged a 78-yard scoring drive with runs of 22, 23, 1, 4, 4, 17 and 1 before scoring from 1-yard out.
Bryant missed the game with a hairline fracture in his right knee.
Butler and Williams made up the slack with their first touchdowns of the season.
