Seattle Seahawks Enemy Overview: Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys 'On Fire'
Still licking their wounds after taking a 31-13 beating at the hands of the San Francisco 49ers on Thanksgiving, life won't get any easier for the Seattle Seahawks as they prepare to battle against another one of the NFC's elite in the form of the surging Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.
Like San Francisco, Dallas enters Thursday's contest with a top five scoring offense and defense, including leading the NFL in points per game through 12 weeks of action. With quarterback Dak Prescott playing some of the finest football in his career, coach Mike McCarthy's squad has scored at least 33 points in three consecutive victories, while the defense has been equally smothering giving up less than 15 points per game in their current win streak.
“They’re doing a lot of really good things," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said of the Cowboys. "Very consistent on offense, Dak [Prescott] has been really on fire. They have just been really clicking. They’ve been playing good defense all year long, but they’re feeding off of that offense, and it’s a really good complementary game that they present you. Special teams as well, so they have a well-rounded team that you’re dealing with, and they know it right now. They know it and they can feel it and they have a lot of confidence.”
Thriving in coordinator Brian Schottenheimer's offense, Prescott has bounced back from a down year by his standards in impressive fashion, throwing 23 touchdowns compared to just six interceptions thus far. On the outside, receiver CeeDee Lamb has already eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards, Brandin Cooks and Michael Gallup have over 350 receiving yards apiece, and second-year tight end Jake Ferguson has emerged as a viable tertiary option. In addition, versatile running back Tony Pollard has 900 all-purpose yards as a do-it-all backfield weapon.
With the offense humming on all cylinders, as Carroll pointed out, Dallas' defense has fed off of that success, taking advantage of other teams being forced into passing situations. Cornerback Daron Bland already has five interceptions returned for touchdowns, establishing an NFL single season record, while star pass rusher Micah Parsons has racked up 11.5 sacks and 23 quarterback hits to lead the charge, creating major matchup concerns for the Seahawks in a hostile road environment.
As both teams look to improve their playoff standing in prime time, here's a close look at the Seahawks upcoming Week 13 opponent, including series history, additions/departures, a deep dive into scheme, and Carroll's evaluation of the red-hot Cowboys.
Series History
20th regular season meeting. The Cowboys hold a narrow 10-9 advantage in the series, but they have lost each of their past four regular season games to the Seahawks dating back to the 2015 season, including twice at AT&T Stadium. Since Carroll arrived in 2010, Seattle has posted a 5-2 record in the regular season against Dallas. With that said, Carroll's squad came up short in the wild card round of the 2018 NFL playoffs, losing on the road in a tight 24-22 contest.
What's New?
Departures: Losing several key offensive players in free agency, veteran guard Connor McGovern signed a multi-year deal with the Bills and tight end Dalton Schultz bolted for the Texans. The team also released former All-Pro running back Ezekiel Elliott in a cost-cutting move, turning the keys over to Pollard as the lead runner. In the coaching department, Dallas parted ways with offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, who left for the same role with the Los Angeles Chargers, and promoted former Seattle offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to fill the vacancy.
Playing his best football for the Cowboys, Dak Prescott has taken full advantage of a talented receiving corps and quality pass protection to lead the NFL's top scoring offense.
© Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Additions: Bolstering Prescott's receiving corps, the Cowboys dealt a pair of draft picks to the Texans for speedy veteran Brandin Cooks, teaming him up with Lamb and Michael Gallup to form a playmaking trifecta. In a separate deal to add experienced talent to the secondary, Dallas sent a fifth-round pick to Indianapolis for standout cornerback Stephon Gilmore. Beefing up the defensive line in the draft, the team invested their first-round pick in Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith and later drafted another former Wolverine in tight end Luke Schoonmaker in the second round.
Injury Report
Injured during practice, Dallas lost star cornerback Trevon Diggs to a season-ending torn ACL in September. Starting linebacker Leighton Vander Esch also was lost for the season earlier in November due to a neck injury.
Inside The Scheme
Running a scheme somewhat similar to the one Schottenheimer deployed in his three years as coordinator in Seattle, the Cowboys have used 11 personnel with three receivers, a tight end, and a running back on 61 percent of their offensive snaps and used multi-tight end personnel 19 percent of the time. Boasting one of the most potent offensive attacks in the NFL, they rank fourth in explosive play rate (11.78 percent), second in air yards, and second in expected points added per pass using shotgun formations north of 54 percent of the time.
In the run game, Dallas has been as diverse as any offense in the league this season, dialing up a near 50/50 split between zone and gap concepts. With a respectable rushing attack to complement Prescott, Schottenheimer has dialed up 116 play action drop backs for his quarterback, the fourth-most for any signal caller in the NFL through 12 weeks. Surprisingly, those opportunities have netted just 688 yards and 6.6 yards per attempt, which ranks 24th out of 27 qualified quarterbacks, but he has thrown five touchdowns compared to one interception on play passes.
When asked how much he sees Schottenheimer's influence on Dallas' offense, Carroll told reporters that the scheme seems more in step with what he's seen in the past from coach Mike McCarthy in his time at Green Bay.
“I see more Mike [McCarthy], but there are some things. There is some stuff in there," Carroll said. "It looks like it’s a combination for sure, but I see a lot of Mike’s past and history.”
Defensively, the Cowboys are led by another former Carroll pupil in Dan Quinn, who served as the Seahawks defensive coordinator when they made back-to-back Super Bowl appearances in 2013 and 2014. Led by Micah Parsons and a fierce pass rush, Quinn's unit ranks fourth in sacks and has surrendered only 53 explosive plays all season, the eighth-fewest in the NFL. Thanks to the efforts of cornerback Daron Bland, who has returned five interceptions for touchdowns in 11 games, they also lead the league in defensive points scored off turnovers.
Schematically, Quinn has stuck with his bread and butter employing middle of field closed defenses north of 70 percent of the the time, including ranking in the top three in Cover 1 usage with man coverage underneath. Even with Parsons anchoring a dynamic defensive line, Dallas has stayed aggressive sending extra rushers to harass opposing quarterbacks, blitzing on 35.8 percent of pass plays, the eighth-highest rate in the league currently.
“They’re always going to play really hard up front, they’re going to really rush," Carroll assessed. "That’s always been his emphasis, being a D-line guy from the past; and they’re really good at it. They’ll compensate their looks and stuff to put their guys in position to rush the passer in really effective ways and creative ways. Danny [Quinn] is doing a great job of that.”
