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The Seattle Seahawks (0-2) and the Dallas Cowboys (1-1) will meet Sunday afternoon in Seattle in a battle of two offenses seeking to regain their identity.
It was a long night for Seattle at Soldier Field in Chicago on Monday, as the Seahawks could not come off offensive in the first three quarters in a 24-17 loss to the Bears. Chicago fired quarterback Russell Wilson six times and dominated the end-to-end scrum line. Defensively, the Seahawks fought without Bobby Wagner and K. J. Wright The Bears were limited to 17 points and 271 total offensive yards, which should have resulted in a win for Seattle under the circumstances. However, this was not supposed to be the case when Russell Wilson was kidnapped by Prince Amukamara, who picked him up for a 6-man pick that extended Chicago's lead to 24-10 in the fourth quarter. It was only the second time in Wilson's career that he intercepted a touchdown.
Dallas rebounded after a week-long loss to Carolina defeating the New York Giants 20-13. Dak Prescott completed 16 of 25 passes for 160 yards and one touchdown. Ezekiel Elliott was solid in the race match while Elliott grabbed 79 yards on 17 runs. The Cowboys' defense has done a remarkable job in blocking the game against New York and outstanding rookie Saquon Barkley. Dallas limited the Giants to just 35 yards and forced Eli Manning to beat them by throwing the ball that paid off.
The Cowboys have won 10 of 18 games against the Seahawks, but Seattle won the last game by beating Dallas at 12-12 on Arlington's eve of Christmas.
Dallas to Seattle
Start: Sunday, September 23 at 4:25 pm ET
TV: FOX
Propagate: Seahawks -3
Three things to watch
1. The Seahawks' approach
Head Coach Pete Carroll took the blame for not staying with the race game last Monday night as Seattle threw three balls in each of the first two possessions of the third quarter. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer was recruited during the off-season to improve the game and push Russell Wilson to improve. So far, the results are at best disappointing for Schottenheimer, as the offensive line has allowed 12 sacks and there is a lack of dangerous playmakers in the passing game. You can try to solve this problem in several ways if you are the Seahawks. First, they have to pay more than words about their commitment to running football. Secondly, Wilson must quickly get rid of the ball and, if it means fast and short passes to limit the vulnerable offensive line, so does it. Third, Carroll must let his offensive coaches do their job and not get involved unnecessarily.
2. Dallas attack on the Seahawks' defense
Patience will be a virtue for Cowboys offensive coordinator Scott Linehan as they can afford to play the championship game as soon as they are not immune to Seattle's defense. Prescott will not need to win the match if the offensive line can control the line of scrimmage and let Elliott touch the ground. Prescott's inability to deal with football is one of the main reasons Dallas lost to the Seahawks on Christmas Eve. Prescott completed 21 of 34 passes for 181 yards with two interceptions, which was the difference in the game. Expect Prescott to target receiver Tavon Austin early in the game to try to win a major game to release Seattle's defense. Shaquill Griffin and Bradley McDougald will be critical players for the Seahawks in this match as they will look to provoke some turnarounds to establish an excellent field position for the attack.
3. Earl Thomas
Thomas was captured in video after last year's game in Dallas to the Cowboys locker room where he told head coach Jason Garrett. "If you're lucky, pick me up." This episode gave rise to speculation that Seattle would trade Thomas against Dallas during the off season. It also triggered a series of events with Thomas, which led him to leave the training camp and use the "give me a contract" card. It will be interesting to see where Thomas is mentally Sunday. If Thomas really tries to get sold to the Cowboys, it would be in his interest to have a good performance to help the Seahawks have a chance to win. It would also improve its commercial value simply by playing at a high level and staying healthy all year round.
Final analysis
Seattle has been successful in home shooters in recent years, winning nine straight games. The fans must be locked and charged to make a lot of noise at the beginning of this game. The team that can start quickly should be in a good position to win this game on Sunday. A quick start for Dallas will get them out of the game, while a quick start for the Seahawks should give them only the confidence they need. This game should be a tight game with the type of contest with turnovers. Seattle should make a wink as they will force a key business figure from the Cowboys' offensive to get their first win of the season.
Prediction: Seahawks 20, Cowboys 17
– Written by Scott Whittum, part of the Athlon Contributor Network. Follow him on Twitter @ScottWhittum.
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