Offenses should reign in Seattle
By Scouts, Inc.
Why To Watch
The Cowboys enter the playoffs on a losing streak, while the Seahawks gained some confidence and momentum with their Week 17 win over the Buccaneers. The key for the Cowboys will be to reestablish the run with the combination of RBs Julius Jones and Marion Barber to take pressure off QB Tony Romo. When Dallas does pass, Seahawks defensive coordinator John Marshall must find a way to match up on the perimeter with a depleted secondary against an explosive receiving corps of WRs Terrell Owens and Terry Glenn and TE Jason Witten.
Look for Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren to spread the field and attack through the air to set up RB Shaun Alexander and the run game. Dallas defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer must find a way to establish a pass-rush while not giving up explosive plays in coverage. This game has all the makings of a high-scoring affair that could come down to the final series.
When the Cowboys have the ball
Rushing: The Cowboys must find a way to be more balanced on offense against a Seahawks run defense that has been inconsistent. Look for Dallas to rely on the combination of RBs Jones and Barber to take pressure off QB Romo. The Cowboys' offensive line has great size across the board but marginal mobility and overall athleticism, which could be an issue against an undersized Seahawks defensive line that relies on attacking upfield gaps.
Look for the Cowboys to run the ball outside to force Seattle's soft corners up in support. Dallas will try to wear down the Seahawks' front seven to control the time of possession and extend drives. The key for the Cowboys' offensive line will be its ability to control the interior by cutting off the upfield penetration of Seattle DTs Chuck Darby and Rocky Bernard. The Seahawks' defense is disciplined and must do a good job maintaining gap control against the Cowboy' big offensive line.
Seattle MLB Lofa Tatupu does a great job of reading, reacting and attacking downhill between the tackles -- along with WLB Julian Peterson -- when reacting to blocking patterns. The Cowboys will need production from both Jones and Barber on first down to place them in more manageable second- and third-down situations in order to control the clock and extend drives.
Passing: The Cowboys have the ability to strike from anywhere on the field with the strong supporting cast around QB Romo. However, Romo must play a mistake-free game against a Seahawks secondary that can be exploited on the back end due to injuries.
The Seahawks have big concerns in the secondary due to injuries to Marcus Trufant, Kelly Herndon and Jimmy Williams. Defensive coordinator Marshall will have his hands full as he tries to contain the Cowboys' receiving corps with a makeshift unit. Seattle must find a way to pressure Romo without getting burned in coverage by explosive downfield plays. Look for the Seahawks to continue to rely on their four-man rush while dropping seven into coverage. WLB Peterson leads the Seahawks in sacks with 10 and is a great player with tremendous speed and athleticism. He is versatile and can rush the passer or drop into coverage.
However, the Cowboys' offensive line continues to struggle, and it must be able to give Romo time and space in the pocket to attack the Seahawks secondary. Look for the Cowboys to spread the field to create individual matchups they can exploit. Dallas likely will rely on more three- and five-step drops to get Romo in rhythm and help dictate the Seahawks' pressure packages. Look for the Seahawks to play more zone coverages while incorporating some single zone-fires and overload blitz pressures in third-and-long situations.
When the Seahawks have the ball
Rushing: RB Alexander has been good the last two weeks, gaining 232 yards on 59 carries, and is starting to get into rhythm. Since returning in Week 11 from his injury, he gradually has begun to run with more power and leverage while getting stronger late in the fourth quarter. The Seahawks are averaging 120.2 rushing yards per game, while the Cowboys' run defense is allowing 103.7 yards a game. The Seahawks' offensive line has struggled this season in protecting the quarterback but has done a pretty good job the past few weeks of creating space and run lanes for Alexander. The Seahawks prefer to run behind LOT Walter Jones.
Dallas' defense has come under fire the past few weeks. Look for defensive coordinator Zimmer to continue to rely on his multiple Cover 2 schemes in most situations to protect against the deep pass and let his front seven take care of the run. However, if the Cowboys are getting gashed by the run, Zimmer will have to bring SS Roy Williams up into the box in run-heavy situations.
Look for Seattle coach Holmgren to place a lot of responsibility on the shoulders of QB Matt Hasselbeck, who likely will be given the freedom to change plays at the line to get the Seahawks in the best position to attack the Cowboys' defense based on personnel groupings and number count in the box.
Passing: The Seahawks love to set up the run with the pass. They rely heavily on the West Coast offense's principles of rhythm and timing, with less vertical presence than most offenses. In the past four games, the Cowboys' defense has given up 132 points, including 14 touchdowns, and has been inconsistent in finding ways to pressure the quarterback. Look for QB Hasselbeck to come out throwing with quick, short, underneath routes to try to get into rhythm and soften up the Cowboys' defense.
Seattle has a talented receiving corps that will cause a lot of problems for the Cowboys' secondary based on individual matchups. Look for the Seahawks to use a lot of multiple-grouping packages to spread the Cowboys' defense and allow Hasselbeck to identify and attack the weakness in the Dallas zone defense by making the right play selection at the line. Also, look for the Seahawks to use some no-huddle offense this week to keep the Cowboys off balance.
Dallas defensive coordinator Zimmer will have his hands full trying to match up with Seattle's spread formations. The Seahawks love to use different personnel groupings after every play, and the Cowboys must counter by getting the best defensive grouping on the field to match up. If Hasselbeck has time in the pocket, he can make a lot of plays. The Cowboys must find a way to pressure Hasselbeck and disrupt the timing and rhythm of the Seahawks' passing game.
ESPN'S TAKE
These teams have had up-and-down seasons, but for entirely different reasons. The Cowboys seem to be one of those teams that is ready to combust, and I'm not so sure that kind of volatility is a good mix in the playoffs. The Seahawks still haven't recovered from losing RB Shaun Alexander and QB Matt Hasselbeck for long stretches earlier in the season. The offense doesn't seem to have fully recovered the rhythm it had early in the season and last season. The Cowboys must get back to providing QB Tony Romo space and time to make things happen. He has done a wonderful job when he has multiple receivers going out and making plays for him while he's on the run. When Dallas struggles in the passing game, it's because the receivers are not cutting off their routes when Romo starts to improvise. They have to give him a constantly moving target for him to be successful.-- Joe Theismann
Why To Watch
The Cowboys enter the playoffs on a losing streak, while the Seahawks gained some confidence and momentum with their Week 17 win over the Buccaneers. The key for the Cowboys will be to reestablish the run with the combination of RBs Julius Jones and Marion Barber to take pressure off QB Tony Romo. When Dallas does pass, Seahawks defensive coordinator John Marshall must find a way to match up on the perimeter with a depleted secondary against an explosive receiving corps of WRs Terrell Owens and Terry Glenn and TE Jason Witten.
Look for Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren to spread the field and attack through the air to set up RB Shaun Alexander and the run game. Dallas defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer must find a way to establish a pass-rush while not giving up explosive plays in coverage. This game has all the makings of a high-scoring affair that could come down to the final series.
When the Cowboys have the ball
Rushing: The Cowboys must find a way to be more balanced on offense against a Seahawks run defense that has been inconsistent. Look for Dallas to rely on the combination of RBs Jones and Barber to take pressure off QB Romo. The Cowboys' offensive line has great size across the board but marginal mobility and overall athleticism, which could be an issue against an undersized Seahawks defensive line that relies on attacking upfield gaps.
Look for the Cowboys to run the ball outside to force Seattle's soft corners up in support. Dallas will try to wear down the Seahawks' front seven to control the time of possession and extend drives. The key for the Cowboys' offensive line will be its ability to control the interior by cutting off the upfield penetration of Seattle DTs Chuck Darby and Rocky Bernard. The Seahawks' defense is disciplined and must do a good job maintaining gap control against the Cowboy' big offensive line.
Seattle MLB Lofa Tatupu does a great job of reading, reacting and attacking downhill between the tackles -- along with WLB Julian Peterson -- when reacting to blocking patterns. The Cowboys will need production from both Jones and Barber on first down to place them in more manageable second- and third-down situations in order to control the clock and extend drives.
Passing: The Cowboys have the ability to strike from anywhere on the field with the strong supporting cast around QB Romo. However, Romo must play a mistake-free game against a Seahawks secondary that can be exploited on the back end due to injuries.
The Seahawks have big concerns in the secondary due to injuries to Marcus Trufant, Kelly Herndon and Jimmy Williams. Defensive coordinator Marshall will have his hands full as he tries to contain the Cowboys' receiving corps with a makeshift unit. Seattle must find a way to pressure Romo without getting burned in coverage by explosive downfield plays. Look for the Seahawks to continue to rely on their four-man rush while dropping seven into coverage. WLB Peterson leads the Seahawks in sacks with 10 and is a great player with tremendous speed and athleticism. He is versatile and can rush the passer or drop into coverage.
However, the Cowboys' offensive line continues to struggle, and it must be able to give Romo time and space in the pocket to attack the Seahawks secondary. Look for the Cowboys to spread the field to create individual matchups they can exploit. Dallas likely will rely on more three- and five-step drops to get Romo in rhythm and help dictate the Seahawks' pressure packages. Look for the Seahawks to play more zone coverages while incorporating some single zone-fires and overload blitz pressures in third-and-long situations.
When the Seahawks have the ball
Rushing: RB Alexander has been good the last two weeks, gaining 232 yards on 59 carries, and is starting to get into rhythm. Since returning in Week 11 from his injury, he gradually has begun to run with more power and leverage while getting stronger late in the fourth quarter. The Seahawks are averaging 120.2 rushing yards per game, while the Cowboys' run defense is allowing 103.7 yards a game. The Seahawks' offensive line has struggled this season in protecting the quarterback but has done a pretty good job the past few weeks of creating space and run lanes for Alexander. The Seahawks prefer to run behind LOT Walter Jones.
Dallas' defense has come under fire the past few weeks. Look for defensive coordinator Zimmer to continue to rely on his multiple Cover 2 schemes in most situations to protect against the deep pass and let his front seven take care of the run. However, if the Cowboys are getting gashed by the run, Zimmer will have to bring SS Roy Williams up into the box in run-heavy situations.
Look for Seattle coach Holmgren to place a lot of responsibility on the shoulders of QB Matt Hasselbeck, who likely will be given the freedom to change plays at the line to get the Seahawks in the best position to attack the Cowboys' defense based on personnel groupings and number count in the box.
Passing: The Seahawks love to set up the run with the pass. They rely heavily on the West Coast offense's principles of rhythm and timing, with less vertical presence than most offenses. In the past four games, the Cowboys' defense has given up 132 points, including 14 touchdowns, and has been inconsistent in finding ways to pressure the quarterback. Look for QB Hasselbeck to come out throwing with quick, short, underneath routes to try to get into rhythm and soften up the Cowboys' defense.
Seattle has a talented receiving corps that will cause a lot of problems for the Cowboys' secondary based on individual matchups. Look for the Seahawks to use a lot of multiple-grouping packages to spread the Cowboys' defense and allow Hasselbeck to identify and attack the weakness in the Dallas zone defense by making the right play selection at the line. Also, look for the Seahawks to use some no-huddle offense this week to keep the Cowboys off balance.
Dallas defensive coordinator Zimmer will have his hands full trying to match up with Seattle's spread formations. The Seahawks love to use different personnel groupings after every play, and the Cowboys must counter by getting the best defensive grouping on the field to match up. If Hasselbeck has time in the pocket, he can make a lot of plays. The Cowboys must find a way to pressure Hasselbeck and disrupt the timing and rhythm of the Seahawks' passing game.
ESPN'S TAKE
These teams have had up-and-down seasons, but for entirely different reasons. The Cowboys seem to be one of those teams that is ready to combust, and I'm not so sure that kind of volatility is a good mix in the playoffs. The Seahawks still haven't recovered from losing RB Shaun Alexander and QB Matt Hasselbeck for long stretches earlier in the season. The offense doesn't seem to have fully recovered the rhythm it had early in the season and last season. The Cowboys must get back to providing QB Tony Romo space and time to make things happen. He has done a wonderful job when he has multiple receivers going out and making plays for him while he's on the run. When Dallas struggles in the passing game, it's because the receivers are not cutting off their routes when Romo starts to improvise. They have to give him a constantly moving target for him to be successful.-- Joe Theismann
posted by The Gryphon at 6:32 PM
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