FRISCO, Texas – The 10-6 Dallas Cowboys host the 10-6 Seattle Seahawks on Saturday for the NFC Wild Card round of playoffs. The Cowboys hold a 6-4 overall record when facing the Seahawks in Dallas, and seven of their 19 contests have been decided by a touchdown-or-less. Luckily for Dallas, their QB has the most game-winning drives by any NFL quarterback during his first three seasons and if history repeats itself on Saturday, the Cowboys are 100% confident in their leader’s ability in the fourth.
On the offensive side of the ball for Dallas, the key will be continuing last week’s momentum from the regular season finale against the Giants, and capitalizing on opportunities in the red zone with touchdowns. In week three against Seattle, Prescott was sacked five times and hit 12-not all the offensive line’s fault. Some plays receivers could not gain separation on routes and on others, Dak held onto the football too long in the pocket. The o-line has been plagued with injury this season, making it hard to maintain chemistry with the constant personnel changes.
Prescott remarked to me on the improvement of the o-line, “ They are improving each and every week and battling their tales off. That is all I can ask. When you are sacked and hit the number of times I have been, it is not all them. Some of it’s me, some of it is receivers not necessarily getting open or running the right routes. It is a collective effort, but when you have a group like that that is going to continue to step in and play like they do when one person goes down and play with the intensity and care to protect and to do their job, that is all I can ask for. “
The addition of Amari Cooper in the Cowboys’ offensive scheme has changed the dynamic of Dallas’ offense and the way defenses prepare for the team. Cooper has the innate ability to gain separation on routes, allowing Prescott to get the ball off quicker in the pocket with an open target, taking some of the pressure off the o-line. Cooper has helped open up the running game for Elliott and play action. He was double teamed and contained with a cover two defense the last couple of weeks, which opened up opportunities for Cole Beasley and Blake Jarwin- whom strengthened the Cowboys’ red zone offense and helped the team move the chains converting on third downs.
The Cowboys other star on offense, Ezekiel Elliott, earned the 2018 rushing title. Elliott is an asset to the Cowboys’ offense as a whole and their ground attack. He not only leads the team in rushing, but also finished the season ranked second in most yards from scrimmage. This feat, also acknowledges the ability of the Cowboys’ o-line to open up running lanes for Zeke at the line of scrimmage. That accomplishment shows the improvement of the Cowboys’ offensive front since week three.
I spoke with offensive coordinator Scott Linehan on what the rushing title means for the team, “ Our offensive line has been battling. We have not had a consistent group of five guys week in and week out playing together because guys have been getting banged up. For them to go out and not blink says a lot about not only the mental toughness, but also the physical toughness of our team: of our offense and those guys up front. They are doing a great job giving those second effort blocks and staying on guys just a little bit longer because they know that anytime Zeke can break for a long run. That says a lot about who they are and how they have been coached by Marc and Hud this second half of the year, really the guys sticking with it. “
The Cowboys are in a much better place than they were in week three and are focused on one sole goal: winning the NFC Wild Card game and finishing this fight. They have the right tools to the toolbox, they just have to go out and execute!
