Last week, the Seattle Seahawks escaped Washington D.C. with a victory nearly solely due to the stellar performance of quarterback Russell Wilson. On Sunday afternoon, against the visiting Dallas Cowboys, the Wilson magic ran out.
Home dominance no more
With Wilson joining the rest of the Seahawks in an equally uneven performance, the Seahawks dropped a winnable game in the cozy confines of CenturyLink Field. Despite earning major advantages on special teams, the Seahawks continued their recent pattern of close-but-not-close enough plays.
Despite a number of Dallas gaffes (an errant snap that led to a lost fumble, a muffed punt return and a blocked punt returned for a touchdown) Seattle could not put together enough offensive firepower to overcome the dominating Cowboys. Nor could they cobble together a defensive answer to the Cowboys’ top-rated running game and a gutty performance by quarterback Tony Romo. At home.
Dallas, now 5-1 with their unlikely win in Seattle on Sunday, dominated the game, apart from the aforementioned gaffes. Really, the game was not as close as the 30 – 23 final score suggests. The better team on Sunday was the marauding visiting squad of often-caught-applauding owner Jerry Jones, not the defending world champions. Can it be the mystique of the CLink has clocked out?
When Romo had to make the throws, he made them. When Wilson had to make throws, time and again the Seahawks’ receivers came up just short, with the ball glancing off of their fingertips under heavy duress from the resurgent Cowboy defenders. There were few uncontested catches to be made.
Not your father’s Cowboys
Owners of the worst defense in the history of the Dallas franchise last season, the 2014 Cowboys have completely turned around their defensive fortunes under the tutelage of new defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli. The most remarkable aspect of the Dallas defense 2.0 is its patchwork nature. Gone are defensive leader Sean Lee (injured reserve) sack master Demarcus Ware (now a Denver Bronco), Jason Hatcher and Jeremiah Ratliff. Instead, the Seahawks were beaten by a collection of who-dats and numerous hastily acquired Cowboys like Rolando McClain, Henry Melton, Kyle Wilber, Anthony Spencer, Nick Hayden, Sterling Moore, Tyler Patmon and more.
With Wilson joining the rest of his mates in an up-but-mostly-down 60 minutes, the Seahawks assured their most unlikely loss of the season. With the game still in doubt, Wilson failed to set his feet and deliver an on-target pass to tight end Luke Willson on a crossing route, which managed to end a reasonable third-down attempt. This kind of skittish behavior is far from the norm from the third-year signal caller. Unfortunately, Wilson concluded the Seahawks’ last-gasp drive with his second interception of the season, sealing the end of the contest.
I come not to shovel dirt on the Seahawks. Instead, I’ll let the head coach do it: Pete Carroll, via his postgame press conference: “We were not right, really, in any phase of the game.” “They played the game they wanted to play and we didn’t.” “They’re a tough team to play against right now.” Does it seem so long ago opponents used to say the same thing about the Seahawks? At home?
Running away
The Seahawks effectively abandoned the run in the second half of the game. Considering the game was either a one-score affair or tied throughout the entirety of the half this would be curious, at least. Considering how fundamental running the football is to the Seahawks’ identity, it’s beyond a head-scratcher — it’s unthinkable.
The most remarkable statistic to come from the game has to be the mere 80 yards of rushing offense the Seahawks managed. Percy Harvin, despite three attempts to hand him the ball behind the line of scrimmage, was held completely in check. Wilson, possessor of 122 rushing yards alone in the previous game, nary had an opportunity to gash the stout Dallas defense. He ran only twice the entire game. Marshawn Lynch netted only 61 yards on 10 carries, which included one 32-yard burst and not much else on the other nine.
So, no, the rushing game wasn’t great. Perhaps the Seahawks’ passing offense was worse, in retrospect. Wilson’s 47.8 passer rating is the third-worst of his professional career. With the Seahawks about to embark on a schedule heavily tilted toward road trips, the disappearance of both the running game and the passing game while benefiting from the comforts of home is troubling.
Where they stand
What the Seahawks’ home loss means is a shift in the NFC landscape. It’s not good, in case you’re wondering. The Arizona Cardinals remain in first place in the NFC West, having taken care of the same visiting Washington team the Seahawks vanquished on Monday Night Football. For now, the Seahawks win a tiebreaker against the San Francisco 49ers based on a less-awful division record (having not had any yet) for second place in the division.
In terms of the playoff race, the Seahawks are on the outside looking in, behind the four division leaders and the second-place teams of the NFC East and NFC North, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Green Bay Packers, respectively. Both are tied for first in their divisions but lose the early tiebreakers. About now, the Seahawks’ week one victory over the Packers feels more like five months ago, rather than a mere five weeks.
It would be easy to conclude the Seahawks blew it. I’m not so sure. Despite the Cowboys’ charitable ways with the football, the Seahawks still found themselves well out of the game. The Cowboys proved themselves the better team. In Seattle. It’s a sobering realization, no? One of many surprises so far in the first third of the 2014 NFL season.
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