Dallas Cowboys vs. Seattle Seahawks: Wildcard Round Preview
This Saturday night at 8 pm, the Seattle Seahawks will travel to AT&T Stadium to face the Dallas Cowboys in a battle on Wildcard Weekend. Probably the most evenly matched matchup this weekend, both teams are very similar with their tendencies, schemes, and play calling. Here, we will break down both teams and how they match up against each other.
Passing
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Both teams have very similar quarterbacks, both can move outside the pocket and throw on the run. Russell Wilson, quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks, has been consistently a hall of fame quarterback ever since his rookie season. With a super bowl ring already under his belt, he will look to win another one this year. Wilson has enjoyed another consistently dominant season, with 35 TD and 7 INT with a 110.9 Passer Rating. On the other side of the field, Mississippi State product Dak Prescott has been winning games ever since taking over as QB. In 3 seasons, Dak has won 13, 9, and 10 regular season games (all winning seasons). While both are very highly talented quarterbacks, Wilson has the edge. Unlike Dak, Russell Wilson has more throwing talent at this point in his career and he also has the experience in the playoffs while Prescott has 1 game (Loss to Packers). Prescott will look to make a statement against Seattle and prove he is a franchise QB.
Rushing
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For both teams, the offense is started with the running game. Both teams have a different approach to it. The Seahawks lead the league in rushing, but use a balanced attack of Chris Carson, Mike Davis, and Rashaad Penny. They don’t have a lead back, but the running game is the reason why they are in the playoffs. Look for Pete Carroll to rotating this trio in and out of the game to keep fresh against a very young and fast defense. For Dallas, the running game is controlled by Ezekiel Elliott, who is regarded to some as the best running back in the NFL. Zeke led the league in rushing for the 2nd time in his first 3 years (1,434 yards) and is the most important player on the offense of the Dallas Cowboys. While the Seahawks lead the league in rushing, I would go with the Dallas rushing attack over Seattle because with the high stakes on the line, none of the Seattle rushers can match anything close to what Zeke does. Look for Elliott to explode against Seattle and get revenge for the Week 3 loss.
Receiving
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Just like the rest of the offense, the receiving cores for both teams are very similar. Dallas has their #1 in Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup who can stretch the field, and Cole Beasley who is heavily relied on in the underneath game. Tight End Blake Jarwin lit up the Giants in Week 17 and has emerged as a safety blanket for Prescott in the last 4 games as he has 20 catches for 228 yards and 3 touchdowns in that span. Seattle, on the other hand, does not have receivers that will scare you. Tyler Lockett and Doug Baldwin are both solid receivers, but neither had over 1,000 yards. They don’t have a guy for Russell Wilson to rely on to go up and make a play. They are more of system receivers while the Cowboys have Cooper who can burn you and destroy a corner with his precise route running. In this case, Dallas has the major edge over Seattle’s receiving core, especially with the defense Dallas has.
Defense
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For both teams, the defense is where this game will be won. Whether it is a pick 6 or a sack, a big play will be made to propel either Seattle or Dallas to next round. Both teams are led by a dominant linebacking core. For Seattle, you have K. J. Wright and Bobby Wagner. For Dallas, you have Leighton Vander Esch, Jaylon Smith, and Sean Lee. You can pick your poison with the linebacking core and even the secondaries are even, but what separates the Dallas defense from the Seahawks is the rush defense. Dallas’ defense only gives up 80 yards rushing per game (5th) while Seattle gives up 113 yards (13th). With a stud like Zeke in the backfield and the dominant offensive line that Dallas has, Seattle’s defensive line needs to come up big to come out of AT&T Stadium with another game to play.
Prediction
Dallas 27
Seattle 20
By Richard Dordas