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Dak Prescott just led the Cowboys to a thrilling comeback victory that featured the first appearance of #Team40Burger this season, and are now traveling to Seattle to face a Seahawks team that has embraced the #LetRussCook mantra to jump out to a 2-0 start. As with last week, the Cowboys are missing yet another cornerback to injury and Tyron Smith is a game-time decision. How do our writers feel about this one?
When Seattle has the ball
Get to Russell Wilson
The topic of discussion all week in Dallas has been their underperforming pass rush. Everson Griffen said he’s going back to more three-point stances this week to hopefully kickstart this talented group of edge rushers, but they also have a favorable matchup when it comes to getting after the quarterback.
While Russell Wilson is playing like an MVP already this season, only six quarterbacks are holding the ball longer than him through the first two games. Wilson’s ability to move around in the pocket and evade rushers certainly helps, but his willingness to hold onto the ball longer creates more opportunities for Griffen, Aldon Smith, and DeMarcus Lawrence. If they can consistently get in his face and throw off the timing of each play, the Cowboys’ banged up secondary may stand a chance.
When Dallas has the ball
#MakeItRayne
This past week the case was made for the Cowboys to give Dak Prescott the Wilson treatment and let him cook, but #MakeItRayne is a much cooler hashtag. The sentiment is still the same though: put the ball in his hands and trust him to do great things. After all, it was Dak who put up 450 yards through the air last week and scored four total touchdowns to bring the team back.
Against a team as red hot as the Seahawks, some coaches may think the solution is to run the ball to control the clock and keep their offense off the field as much as possible, but that’s a recipe for disaster, especially with the Cowboys’ injuries in the secondary. Seattle will score plenty in this game, so the focus must be on letting Prescott run the offense and keep pace with Wilson.
Now onto the predictions from your BTB writers...
DannyPhantom:
It’s unfortunate these two teams are squaring off so early as I would really like to see them go against each other after getting settled in. Pete Carroll’s squad has the clear advantage as this group has been doing great things for a while. It’s hard seeing the Cowboys defense having any answer for Russell Wilson and the Seahawks offense.
Dak and company have the firepower to keep up, but sometimes they run into little bumps, and that won’t fly on Sunday. I would love to see them play every possession like it’s the two minute drill, but I don’t see that happening. Wilson is playing the best in the NFL, and against a banged up Cowboys secondary, that’s just bad news. Look for another 40 burger, only this one won’t be so tasty.
Seahawks 41, Cowboys 27
Tom Ryle:
We’re going to find out just how serious Mike McCarthy is about scoring early and often. They certainly can’t afford the early game miscues they survived by the skin of Greg Zuerlein’s toe, because Russell Wilson will not walk away with many field goals. I am hopeful that the defensive line will start getting some more pressure, and think a surprising key to this game is Trysten Hill penetrating up the middle.
However, this is going to be one of the toughest games on the schedule. The good news is that they should be able to win quite a few the rest of the way. I just think that with the Cowboys still trying to get all on the same page with everything, it will still be a bit too much to overcome.
Seahawks 38, Cowboys 34
Terence Watson:
This is a game where Team40Burger is going to have to show up again. The Seattle Seahawks offense led by Russell Wilson has the fire power to keep up with the Cowboys offense. The Cowboys only real hope of winning this game lies on the defense and their ability to get Wilson to the ground. If they can do that they have a chance. Unfortunately I just don’t see that happening this week and I have the Seahawks winning this game.
Seahawks 35, Cowboys 30
Dave Halprin:
If the Cowboys coaching staff would put the ball in Dak Prescott’s hands and let him do what he does in an uptempo offense, Dallas could play against any team in the league. Unfortunately, the Cowboys coaching staff has a habit of slowing things down and deciding that they have to run the ball on first down far too often. Maybe they will learn their lesson eventually, but it won’t be this week. Dallas will attempt a furious comeback but will come up short.
Seahawks 31 - Cowboys 27
Matt Holleran:
If you like offense, you’re going to love this matchup. Two of the best quarterbacks in the league, Dak Prescott and Russell Wilson, are both going to light it up on Sunday afternoon. Both teams are going to be able to put up a boat load of points, but it’s hard to see how this beat up Cowboys’ defense will be able to stop Wilson when it counts. Prescott and the Dallas offense has another big day, but the Seahawks D comes up with the biggest play of the day in the fourth quarter.
Gimme the Seahawks 34-30.
David Howman:
The Cowboys proved last week they can win shootouts, and if not for the four inexplicable fumbles in that first quarter, perhaps they would have won by a larger margin. Seattle’s defense is actually giving up more yards through the air than Atlanta, but they also have more playmakers in Jamal Adams, Bobby Wagner, and Quandre Diggs.
If the Cowboys are serious about trusting Dak Prescott to do his thing in this game, they have a very real shot at winning. But in a shootout like that, against a guy like Russell Wilson playing the way he is, it’s going to be a nail-biter. Expect one of Seattle’s playmakers on defense to make a clutch play and edge out a win for Seattle.
Seahawks 39 Cowboys 35.