Dallas Cowboys Hope To Avoid Trap Game
As I wrote last week, the Cowboys took a huge step in their victory over the New York Football Giants, but it would be very easy to overlook our opponent this weekend – the Seattle Seahawks. Now, it’s not exactly as if the Russell Wilson led Seahawks did much of anything to impress – they lost in a close game to the not-very-good Arizona Cardinals – it’s just that it would be all too easy to overlook the lowly Seahawks in a potential trap game.
The Cowboys are coming off of a week where they are high on the win over the division-rival Giants, but hopefully they aren’t looking too far ahead into the season, or else all of the good feelings could come crashing down in a hurry.
Sept. 8, 2012; Glendale, AZ, USA; Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) signals to teammates during the first half against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-US PRESSWIRE
Russell Wilson
Wilson was all the rage during the preseason, when he took the starting job from newly signed and well-paid Matt Flynn. Wilson showed incredible mobility and poise, and played well above expectation considering both his youth and diminutive size for an NFL Quarterback. Many compared his skill-set to that of #2 overall pick and superhuman, RGIII during the preseason.
Anyone who watched the games on Sunday knows how that worked out. RGIII went absolutely bananas on New Orleans, and Wilson – well, he didn’t do much of anything against a pretty unimpressive Arizona team.
Wilson threw an interception and lost a fumble and played like you’d expect a rookie Quarterback to play – RGIII notwithstanding. He accounted for only 153 yards passing and 20 yards rushing and really didn’t do much to impress.
That doesn’t mean the kid isn’t dangerous. No, the Cowboys shouldn’t exactly be shaking in their cleats, but that doesn’t mean that his athleticism can’t hurt them. This is exactly the kind of talent that can spring out of nowhere and gash you. I really think that Wilson has a lot of potential and mind end up being something special.
Marshawn Lynch
I never know what to think about Beast Mode. He is clearly a very talented Running Back that can take over a game, or he can be the perpetually injured and ineffective runner he was with in his last couple of seasons with Buffalo. He had a better than expected game against the Cardinals, but with his back spasms cropping up, who knows? Even with his back bothering him, he was still able to manage 85 yards on 21 carries, for 4.0 YPC. Not stunning, but definitely productive.
All the Cowboys defense can do is prepare for Lynch to play, and hope to be pleasantly surprised if they see Robert Turbin getting the majority of the carries instead.
Seahawks Receivers
Seattle’s passing game was pretty weak in Week 1, so it’s sort of hard to say how and if their big receivers will play a factor in the games against the Cowboys. The Cowboys should be able to handle the physical receivers with their new offseason DB upgrades, but it will be interesting to see if Dallas has the size and physicality to hang with Braylon Edwards and Sidney Rice in the Red Zone. I, for one, am not all that worried.
Seahawks Defense
The Seahawks defense is a young, athletic, and talented unit – and frankly, hugely underrated. They very quietly were a Top 10 defense in 2011, and though (this is the mantra of the article so far) the Arizona Cardinals are far from an offensive powerhouse, the Seahawks defense kept them more or less in check.
The Cowboys should have sufficient firepower to overcome the youth and talent of this unit, but don’t be surprised if they Seahawks are able to get pressure on Romo and force a turnover.
Overall
The Dallas Cowboys are clearly the better and more talented team, but in the crazy “any given Sunday” world of the NFL, it is foolish to write in the ‘W’ next to this game already. The Seahawks are a talented team with an exciting and promising young Quarterback. Coach Carroll, et al, has built a solid talent foundation, and it will be very interesting to see how this team develops over the next few years.
Hopefully that process doesn’t begin with an inspirational win on Sunday.
The bottom line is this – If the Cowboys are for real this year, they will go into this game like it’s business as usual and put this team away early. If they’re just happy to have beaten the Giants, this could be a very dangerous and motivated foe to quickly dampen the spirits of the team that we all hope is going to seize control of the suddenly attainable NFC East crown.
Prediction:
Cowboys 21, Seahawks 10.