49ers Notebook: Deebo, Arik Armstead troll Cowboys; Armstead wishes he would have smacked Dak Prescott; Fred Warner gets rave reviews; What in the world happened on the final play?

“I broke on the route and I really didn’t think he was going to throw it,” Lenoir said. “I thought it was about to be a scramble drill. But then when I looked back, the ball was coming. My hyena senses just kicked in and I just jumped for it.”

49ers safety Talanoa Hufanga told reporters on Sunday that Lenoir’s interception helped set the tone for the team’s defensive performance the rest of the way.

“Definitely,” Hufanga said. “Talking with him during the week and his preparation has been outstanding. He has really been locked into watching the film and making sure he’s on top of everything. When plays like that happen and he reads them, and he goes out there and just shoots like a gun, just fires and he’s in front of all these receivers and making plays. When things like that happen, it’s just awesome to see.”

Lenoir isn’t surprised that he’s thought of as a player other teams should target, but he invites them to keep throwing the ball in his direction anyway.

“I’m the youngest guy on the defense besides Huf so I expected that, but I embrace it,” Lenoir said. “They want to come at me, I’m gonna make ’em pay.”

Game-changing injury

The Cowboys were forced to play the second half of Sunday’s game without one of their biggest offensive threats in running back Tony Pollard, who was carted off the field before halftime with what has been reported as a broken leg. Pollard was a player the 49ers were concerned about coming into the game, and there’s little doubt his injury had an affect on what the Cowboys were able to do on offense.

“It hurt us,” Prescott said, per ESPN, who reports Pollard will need surgery to repair the injury. “Wasn’t able to create as many explosive plays as we planned, and I’m sure he would’ve been a big part of some of those had he not gotten hurt.”

Pollard rushed for 1,007 yards and nine touchdowns on the regular season and had six carries for 22 yards with two catches for 11 yards before his injury. Warner said the 49ers didn’t change their approach after Pollard got hurt, but he added there was little doubt things weren’t the same for the Cowboys with Pollard out of the lineup.

“I wouldn’t say we adjusted specifically any type of way,” Warner said. “Obviously he’s an incredible football player and we had a lot of respect for him going into this game knowing how dynamic he was and how explosive of a player he was. You never wish to see a guy limp off the field like that. But I think for their offense it kind of changed things up not having him back there.”