DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys will bring November to a close by hosting the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13. Both teams will be coming off Thanksgiving games, meaning there will be no schedule advantages for either squad, but they are teams heading in opposite directions.
While the Cowboys have won three games in a row and look like one of the best teams in the league, the Seahawks have lost two straight, and three of their last four. Seattle also hasn’t won on the road since they triumphed over the New York Giants in early October.
The current situation looks like a mismatch in which the Cowboys should beat a fading team, but that’s not the reality of the NFL. Despite a record number of blowouts for Dallas, this remains a league where things change very quickly, and head coach Mike McCarthy needs to prepare his team for the task at hand instead of catching them looking ahead to the following week’s matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Seahawks will come to Arlington a desperate team looking to stay in the playoff hunt, and the Cowboys shouldn’t take them lightly. Here are the keys to beating Seattle in Week 13:
Keep Prescott and the offense rolling
The offense in Dallas looks very different from how they were when they went into the bye week, and the results are speaking for themselves. Since returning to action in Week 8, the Cowboys lead the NFL in scoring at 38.6 points per game. Even taking away the DaRon Bland effect of added points from his pick-six parade and the offense is still atop the league, scoring over 34 ppg.
Some of the credit belongs to McCarthy for fixing the early-season offensive issues by utilizing pre-snap motion and shifts at a higher rate than before the week of rest, culminating in a season-high in last week’s win.
The change in offensive scheme and play-calling has also led to better play from quarterback Dak Prescott. In the last five games, Prescott has totaled 18 touchdowns and thrown just two interceptions, catapulting himself into the MVP race.
Keeping the offensive momentum against the Seahawks would make the Cowboys tough to beat on Thursday night.
No safe space for Seattle signal caller Smith
November has been a rough month of football for Seattle quarterback Geno Smith, who is currently dealing with a bruised elbow. Smith incurred the injury two games ago against the Los Angeles Rams and was forced to miss a few series before later returning to action.
Since the bruise, Smith hasn’t thrown a touchdown while passing for just 180 yards in last week’s loss. The drop in production has seen Seattle go from potential contenders in the NFC West to fighting for a playoff spot.
Even before the injury, Smith was getting hit too much, and he’s been sacked 13 times in the last four games. The Seahawks are struggling on the offensive line and they recently lost their starting right tackle to injury, leaving veteran Jason Peters as the starter. Another starter, guard Phil Haynes, missed Monday’s practice with a toe injury.
Smith has been knocked around of late and he’s struggled to find his game over the last month, throwing for just three scores. It’s been an uncomfortable four games for the veteran signal caller and, if the Cowboys continue to make things difficult for Smith, they should be able to beat the Seahawks.
Maintain ground game momentum
The passing game isn’t the only part of the offense that has been clicking for the Cowboys after the bye week, as the running game has also seen improvement. Using the pass to set up the run has worked well, but the efficiency with the rushing attack can be attributed to starting running back Tony Pollard’s improved health.
Pollard had a rough injury in the playoffs last season and that led to some lack of explosiveness to begin his 2023 campaign. Along with McCarthy and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer installing the new offense, figuring out the right way to use Pollard and backup running back Rico Dowdle took some time. Now the running game appears to have settled in.
Pollard is back to his pre-injury form, carrying the ball 12-15 times per game, and averaging over five yards per carry. It’s also no surprise that Pollard has two scores in the last two games after a six-game lull where he never ran for over 55 yards. The veteran running back looks electric again, along with a return of his elusiveness has come the return of his highlight reel broken tackles.
Dowdle has done well in playing the backup role in which his predecessor thrived. The Cowboys use Dowdle to spell Pollard and he looks strong, fresh, and quick when called upon.
The Seahawks allow over 117.7 yards per game on the ground, and in two of their last three losses, they have given up 169 and 298-yards rushing. When the Seahawks lose, they tend to get beat on the ground and the Cowboys’ rising rushing game could exploit that deficiency.
Slow down pass-catching trio
The Cowboys have played against some of the best wide receivers in the league this season, but the Seahawks might have the best trio that they will face. Veteran wideouts DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and rookie Jaxon Smith-Njigba are a top group of pass catchers who have combined for close to 1,700 yards and nine touchdowns.
Each of the wide receivers bring a slightly different skill set to Seattle's offense. Lockett is the smaller, shiftier receiver who leads the trio in catches and scores, Metcalf is the physically imposing wide receiver who makes the contested catches and serves as a red zone target, while Smith-Njigba is the yards after catch leader. Metcalf and Lockett have had quieter years than usual, but the rookie is improving weekly.
The Cowboys will find it difficult to match up with all three and prevent them from contributing on a consistent basis, but limiting their total ability to do damage could help to slow down the Seahawks’ offense.
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