Dallas Cowboys vs. Seattle Seahawks: Complete Week 6 Preview for Dallas

The Dallas Cowboys (4-1) will face their stiffest test of the season when they face off against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks (3-1). A Cowboys win would cement their place among the best teams in the NFL.

Last week, the Cowboys outlasted the Houston J.J. Watts...I mean...Texans in a 20-17 overtime thriller. The Cowboys defense shut down the Texans for most of the game as the offense was busy shooting themselves in the foot for the majority of the game. 

The Seahawks are coming off a 27-17 win over the Washington Redskins that was not as close as the score indicated. The Seahawks offense had three touchdowns called back because of penalties, and the Seattle defense was its usual dominant self. 

The Cowboys are going to need to play an almost perfect game to have a chance against the talented defending Super Bowl champs. They can't afford to turn the ball over or play sloppy on defense. 

The Cowboys have gotten to this 4-1 record on the back of an opportunistic defense and a dominant running game. They will need both if they expect to come out of CenturyLink field with a victory. 

Read on for some news and notes, injury information and players to watch on Sunday.

Cowboys' Week 5 Recap

Brandon Wade/Associated Press

It wasn't easy, but the Dallas Cowboys came away with a 20-17 win over the Houston Texans  to move to 4-1 on the year. 

The Cowboys offense struggled in the first half, while the defense was dominant. This led to the Cowboys going into half time with a 3-0 lead.

However, both offenses started to get into sync in the second half. The Cowboys had a 17-7 lead with 2:36 left in the fourth quarter. Nonetheless, the Texans kicked a field goal and scored a quick touchdown to tie the game with 41 seconds left. 

Nonetheless, the Cowboys drove into field-goal range with three seconds left in regulation. Dan Bailey couldn't make the 53-yard field goal and that sent the game into overtime. 

The Cowboys made a crucial stop to start overtime, which allowed Romo led the Cowboys back into field-goal range and gave Bailey a shot at redemption. The Dallas place-kicker bounced back from his earlier miss and made a 49-yard field goal to win the game. 

Despite his interception, Romo was very good throughout the game, especially at the end. He led the Cowboys into a position to win the game on two separate occasions. 

The Cowboys defense was great throughout the game, but was a much different squad when Rolando McClain went out with an apparent leg injury. 

The Cowboys need Rolando McClain back to help defend against Russell Wilson and the Seahawks offense. 

News and Notes

Brandon Wade/Associated Press

Is Witten the Best Cowboy of All Time?

Tony Romo caused a small stir this week when he said that Jason Witten may be the best Cowboys player of all time, per ESPN.com news services. 

Now, Witten is not the best Cowboys player of all time. That title should be debated between Roger Staubach, Emmitt Smith, Larry Allen, Troy Aikman or even Michael Irvin. However, Witten is the best tight end the Cowboys have ever had. 

Witten recently became the third tight end ever to surpass 10,000 receiving yards, joining Shannon Sharpe and Tony Gonzales. 

Its almost impossible to quantify how much Witten has meant to the Cowboys franchise since he entered the NFL in 2003. He has been the unquestioned leader and the go-to receiver for Romo throughout his career.

Witten may not be the best Cowboy of all time, but he certainly is one of the most important players in recent history.

Tyrone Crawford Finding a Home at 3-technique

At the beginning of the season, Crawford played mostly at defensive end; however, since the New Orleans Saints game in Week 4, Crawford has played the 3-technique defensive tackle position. 

Crawford feels that he is playing better since the switch, per ESPNDallas.com's Todd Archer:

"

I don’t know if I feel more comfortable, but I do feel like I’ve done a better job at the tackle position than at the end position, and hopefully I can improve on that...There’s definitely still a lot of reads and things I need to continue to learn but I feel like I’ve done a better job.

"

Crawford has been very disruptive in his first two games at his new defensive tackle spot. He brings a quickness and strength to the interior of the defensive line that give opposing offensive guards and centers fits. He is still without a sack, but he has been very disruptive and applied constant pressure.

Cowboys Need a Fast Start

ESPNDallas.com's Jean-Jacques Taylor reported comments from Jason Garrett, in which the Dallas head coach discussed the need for his Cowboys to get off to a fast start against the Seahawks:

"

I think it’s important every week and that’s something we try to emphasize...and just because you emphasize it doesn’t guarantee it...You want to play one play at a time and starting off well is important to us in all three phases of our team. In that game a couple of years ago, we didn’t. You play from behind in that kind of environment and it’s that much more challenging. Starting off well in the game is what you want to do and then you want to keep it on them.

"

The Seahawks home crowd is one of the biggest advantages in the NFL. When the Seahawks get up on a visitor early in the game, the crowd noise and Seattle's stifling defense make it almost impossible to dig out of that hole.

The Cowboys need to avoid a bad start to have a chance in this game. 

Injury Report

Tim Sharp/Associated Press

Dez Bryant (shoulder)	WR	Probable
Tony Romo (back)	QB	Probable
Bruce Carter (thigh)	LB	Out
Cameron Lawrence (thigh)	LB	Questionable
Anthony Spencer (knee)	DE	Probable
Henry Melton (hamstring)	DT	Probable
Jermey Parnell (chest)	OT	Questionable
Tyler Patmon (illness)	CB	Probable
Rolando McClain (groin)	LB	Questionable

All injury information comes from the Cowboys' official team website.

The biggest question here is whether Rolando McClain will play or not. He is so vital to what the Cowboys do on defense that it would be an enormous blow if he were unable to go. Every time he is not in the game the Cowboys defense returns to its 2013 level of play and that is not a good thing.

If McClain is out, Anthony Hitchens will be the likely replacement. 

X-Factors and Matchups to Watch

Brandon Wade/Associated Press

DeMarco Murray vs. Bobby Wagner

DeMarco Murray has been fantastic this year, even with his fumbling problems. The same can be said about the Seahawks' "Mike" linebacker Bobby Wagner. 

Wagner does a fantastic job of flowing to the ball and making plays. He is not a liability is pass coverage and he rarely misses any tackles. He does a great job of taking on blocks and is one of the key cogs of the vaunted Seahawks defense. 

Murray will likely face Wagner one-on-one, either in the open field or when the linebacker attempts to fill the back's running lanes. Murray thrives on breaking tackles because he is such a physical runner with deceptive lateral quickness. Wagner will need to be perfect with his fundamentals if he wants to take down Murray. 

If the RB consistently gets through the line before encountering Wagner—and does a better job with ball security—then he should have a productive day and the Cowboys offense will be in a great position throughout.

Percy Harvin vs. Orlando Scandrick

The Seahawks' biggest playmaker outside of Russell Wilson is wide receiver Percy Harvin. He will likely be matched up with Dallas cornerback Orlando Scandrick throughout the game. 

The Seahawks use Harvin in a variety of ways, whether it is in the slot, on the outside or in the backfield. They use him on fly sweeps and do a great job of getting him in position to make plays. 

The good news for Cowboys fans is that Scandrick has done a great job throughout his career of covering small, speedy receivers. Earlier this season, he totally shut down the Saints' Brandin Cook, and he has done a great job in the past against DeSean Jackson. 

If Scandrick can shut down Harvin like he did Cooks, then the Seahawks offense will be severely limited. 

Cowboys' X-Factor of the Week: Rolando McClain

If Rolando McClain does not play against the Seahawks, the Cowboys don't have much of a chance to win Sunday. McClain is the best-run defender the Cowboys have and is a catalyst for the entire defense.

This was evidenced in last week's game against the Texans. As soon as McClain went out the Texans scored 10 quick points and had their way with the Cowboys defense. 

McClain's value isn't only in defending the run; he has also been incredible in pass coverage as well. He does a great job of keeping his eyes on the quarterback and staying disciplined in his zone coverage. He closes on the ball extremely fast and hits like a truck when he gets there. 

McClain's health is the biggest X-factor for the Cowboys this week. With McClain, they have a great chance to win. Without him, their chances are slim to none. 

Prediction

Brandon Wade/Associated Press

The Cowboys need everything to go right to win this game. They can't turn the ball over, and they can't let the Seahawks have a fast start. Rolando McClain must play, and DeMarco Murray can't have his usual first-quarter fumble. 

The Seahawks have the most dominant defense in the NFL, along with a very efficient offense led by Russell Wilson. The Cowboys will have to earn every single yard they get on offense and each stop on defense because the Seahawks won't make it easy. 

However, some things appear to be falling into place for the Cowboys to win. The Seahawks may be without their center Max Unger, and they are coming off a cross-country road trip after a Monday night win. Each of these factors will help sway things ever so slightly in the Cowboys favor. 

The Cowboys have a type of team that can do extremely well on the road. They run the ball and can keep opposing crowds out of the game. Their opportunistic defense seems to make plays when needed, and Wilson has been prone to make mistakes in the past. 

Overall, this game feels ripe for a Cowboys upset if McClain ends up playing. 

Prediction: Cowboys 21, Seahawks 20