Seahawks use second half surge to defeat Cowboys

In a game that could have ended their playoff hopes, the Seahawks went into Jerry’s World and spoiled the return of Ezekiel Elliott by defeating the Cowboys 21-12.

The Seahawks needed a win to stay in the playoff hunt, and they what needed to do. And they went back to their old style of football, using their defense to create turnovers and set up the offense to score points. The Seattle defense caused major problems for Dak Prescott, as he threw two interceptions, including a pick-six.

The Cowboys (8-7) were moving the ball with Elliott on the ground, and were controlling the clock and wearing down the Seattle defense at the same time. But after inexplicably abandoning the run, The Seahawks were feasting off Prescott’s mistakes throwing the ball. Elliott finished the game rushing for 97 yards on 24 carries.

Without the Seattle defense, the Seahawks offense may have not been able to score any points whatsoever. Russell Wilson struggled to make plays throwing the ball. Without a passing game, the Seattle offense is unable to move the ball. The Seahawks were only able to put together 138 yards of offense.

Wilson had a quarterback rating of 107.8, but did not throw for over 100 yards for the first time this season. He finished the game completing 14 of his 21 passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns.

MVP

Justin Coleman made his presence felt against the Cowboys. Coleman was making plays all over the field, but none was bigger than his pick-six interception of Prescott in the third quarter. The Seattle offense had been struggling up to that point in the game, and Coleman’s touchdown gave the Seahawks a 14-9 lead. It also was a huge momentum swing for the Seahawks, as the Cowboys did not have a lead for the rest of the game.

LVP

Not many times this season has Russell Wilson been the least valuable player for the Seahawks. But Wilson had a very subpar performance in today’s game, and needed the Seattle defense to set-up scoring drives. The Seahawks scored 21 points in today’s game, with all coming off turnovers from the Seattle defense. Wilson was unable to manufacture drives to get down field and score points without getting good field position from the turnovers.

Play of the Game

Coleman’s pick-six interception in the third quarter could be what saved the Seahawks season. The Seattle offense was unable to move the ball and score points until after the momentum had swung their way after this touchdown. If Coleman does not get this interception, the Cowboys would still have had the lead. The Cowboys also could have kept running Elliott as a bell-cow to move the ball for the Cowboys offense. Once the momentum swung to the Seahawks after this touchdown, the Cowboys had little to no hope in this game.

Next Up

The Seahawks (9-6) will finish their regular season at CenturyLink Field when they take on the Arizona Cardinals (7-8) on New Year’s Eve at 1:25 p.m. EST. The Seahawks need a win and a Falcons loss to make the playoffs.