The Landry Hat
Fansided

Dallas Cowboys shutdown league’s top rushing attack

By Jack Baker

ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JANUARY 05: Jeff Heath #38, Demarcus Lawrence #90, and Leighton Vander Esch #55 of the Dallas Cowboys combine to stop Chris Carson #32 of the Seattle Seahawks in the third quarter during the Wild Card Round at AT&T Stadium on January 05, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JANUARY 05: Jeff Heath #38, Demarcus Lawrence #90, and Leighton Vander Esch #55 of the Dallas Cowboys combine to stop Chris Carson #32 of the Seattle Seahawks in the third quarter during the Wild Card Round at AT&T Stadium on January 05, 2019 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Seattle Seahawks in the Wildcard round as its defense led the way by shutting down the league’s top rushing attack.

The Dallas Cowboys get their third playoff victory since 1996 defeating the Seattle Seahawks 24-22. The Cowboys defense shut down the number one rushing attack in the NFL and big plays by quarterback Dak Prescott helped guide Dallas into the second round.

The Cowboys defense shut down the Seattle rushing game that averaged a league-leading 160 yards per game. The defense led by rookie linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, who recorded 10 tackles, held the Seattle to a grand total of 73 yards on the ground.

Even though the Cowboys defense only recorded one sack by nose guard Maliek Collins, the consistent pressure created by The Hot Boyz had Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson uncomfortable all night as he only threw for 233 yards.

The Cowboys new version of the Triples showed up when the Boys needed them the most. Wide Receiver Amari Cooper caught seven passes for 106 yards, averaging 15 yards per reception.

Coming off of a rest week for running back Ezekiel Elliott, he did what he does best. Zeke feasted Saturday night as he went for 137 yards on the ground and 32 more yards through the air. Elliott also added a touchdown midway through the third quarter.

Prescott proved a lot of doubters wrong Saturday night. Dak threw for 226 yards and a much-needed touchdown to wide receiver Michael Gallup at the end of the half to regain the lead. The young passer also added 29 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

What Prescott did Saturday night represented what he is all about. He’s a resilient winner. Throughout the year, Prescott has led the Cowboys through thick and thin. Even though his play has not been elite, he has found ways to bounce back from his personal struggles and lead this Dallas team to victory.

Next. Top 10 Undrafted Free Agents in Dallas Cowboys History. dark

On a critical 3rd and 12 with 2:30 left in the contest, and with the Cowboys up by three points, Prescott made an all-time great play. On a designed quarterback draw, the resilient third-year quarterback found a way to pick up the first down avoiding two tackles and flipping over another Seattle defender. Prescott punched the ball in himself on the very next play, sealing the Cowboys’ playoff victory.

The Dallas Cowboys advance to play in the divisional round against either the New Orleans Saints or the Los Angles Rams.

Home/Cowboys News