Reeling Seahawks Could Still Earn First-Round Bye
By Ben Renner
The Seahawks got some help last night from the Dallas Cowboys, who crushed the Detroit Lions 42-21 on Monday Night Football.
Dallas proved too much for the Lions last night, running up a 42-21 victory. Before we get to the good news for the Seahawks, who got the help from the Cowboys they needed to reach the second seed in the NFC, let’s consider how scary Dallas looks as a potential playoff opponent.
The Cowboys are an offensive team. They have a mighty offensive line, a star running back in rookie Ezekiel Elliott, and a cadre of receivers for rookie quarterback Dak Prescott. Last night, Prescott tossed three touchdowns and completed all but five of his 20 pass attempts. Receiver Dez Bryant caught two of those TDs and even threw one of his own in the route.
Normally, an offensive team is exactly the kind of team the Seahawks handle with their excellent defense. In Super Bowl 48, the Broncos came in with one of the best offenses in NFL history before they were obliterated by Seattle’s overwhelming defense. But there are some problems with this equation this time around.
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One problem is that the Seahawks don’t appear to match up well with Dallas. With Earl Thomas on IR, the strength of the Hawk’s defense is now the defensive line. No slight to Kam Chancellor, Richard Sherman, and Deshawn Shead (who’s actually played well opposite Sherm), but without the brains behind the defense’s brawn, Michael Bennett, Frank Clark, Cliff Avril, Bobby Wagner, and company have to take over games–which plays right into Dallas’ hands. Say what you will about crazy billionaire Jerry Jones, he has constructed a wall of an offensive line to protect his skill players. The Seahawks have obviously taken a different approach.
But for now, the Seahawks can thank the Cowboys for their evisceration of Detroit last night. Now, all they have to do is beat the 2-13 49ers in Santa Clara on New Year’s Day and root for New Orleans to knock off the Falcons for them to earn a first-round bye. It’s tough to know what to expect from this Seahawks team, which has looked very uneven in recent weeks, but an easier path to the Super Bowl is still open to them.