Dallas Cowboys vs. Seattle Seahawks – W2W4: Week 16
By Tyrone Starr
With a chance to extend their season, the Dallas Cowboys host the Seattle Seahawks in a huge Sunday afternoon matchup. Here’s what to watch for in Week 16.
Another week brings another must win situation for the Dallas Cowboys. If this week is anything like the last one, you can count on major drama at AT&T Stadium Sunday afternoon.
Each week during the Cowboys survive and advance marathon, the opponents have become progressively tougher. Two weeks ago, it was the Giants, winners of just two games so far in 2017. Last week, it was the Raiders. In Oakland, the Cowboys were looking into the mirror, seeing a fellow underachieving team desperate for a win.
This week, it’s the Seattle Seahawks, a team with an identical record as Dallas as well as a similar need to win. For Seattle, a loss would end any chance at a divisional crown. It would also put their ceiling of wins in 2017 at nine which is highly unlikely to earn a playoff berth.
Obviously this is not the same Seattle team of recent years. Their famous defense is missing a few key players due to season-ending injuries. The offensive line is in shambles. The running game is still very questionable at best.
As you may expect, with all those issues the Seahawks are pretty much the epitome of an average team.
Offensively, Seattle is just outside the top ten in total yards (12th), passing yards (11th) and points per game (13th). Defensively, they allow 21 points per game (12th overall) with their biggest issue being rushing defense.
On the surface, you might not think being 17th overall against the run is all that bad. Dive a little deeper, however, and you find they have only faced two running backs in the top ten in rushing.
Of those two backs, both Todd Gurley and Leonard Fournette gashed this defense. Gurley just put up 152 yards and four touchdowns in a humiliating 42-7 defeat of Seattle. The week before, Fournette dropped 101 yards and a touchdown. Seattle lost both games.