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

This week's slate of games pits the top two rushing attacks in the league against one another. The Seattle Seahawks have the top unit, while the Dallas Cowboys boast the league's second-most effective ground game with their top running back in the form of DeMarco Murray.

Both teams are coming off close wins last week, but as sloppy as the Seahawks played a mistake-filled game against the Washington Redskins on Monday night, the Dallas Cowboys barely eked out an overtime win over the Houston Texans.

Despite their similar rankings, they each face very different tests. The Seahawks will be running up against the 20th-ranked run defense, while the Cowboys face Seattle's first-place unit.

Earl Thomas had some hints about the Seahawks' plan for this weekend, according to the Seahawks website: "I think when you can make a team one-dimensional and you know it's a pass, it starts becoming seven-on-seven and you can kind of translate your mind into a pass thought, rather than you don't know if it's going to be a play action or a run."

The battle in the trenches will have a decidedly important advantage, but the teams' run-defense rankings are based on them playing against polar opposite offensive philosophies. Dallas has faced the third-, 13th-, 19th-, ninth- and 11th-best rushing games in the league.

Conversely, the best running game Seattle has faced is ranked 21st in the league, whereas its passing offense oppositions are ranked 18th, seventh, third and fifth. Things should even out as the season moves along, but Murray and the Cowboys should prove to be an elite-level test to the Seahawks defense.

Now, let's jump into all the information you'll need to unnerve or ease the nerves of those hoping for another Seattle victory.

Seattle Seahawks Week 5 Recap

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The story of the Seahawks' win over the Redskins could easily focus on the team's 13 penalties and three nullified touchdowns, or it could focus on the career game that Russell Wilson had that night. The Seahawks won the game 27-17, but the final outcome never truly seemed to be in doubt.

Wilson rushed for a career-high 122 yards and a touchdown, along with 201 yards passing and two more scores. Though his numbers were impressive, they can't encapsulate everything he did in the game.

He has a raw ability to not only scramble down the field, making the Redskins pay for playing in man coverage, but also constantly find ways to scramble while staying behind the line of scrimmage and keep passing plays alive.

Yes, Percy Harvin was robbed of three touchdowns in the game and would have stood out too, but the things that Wilson did actually counted. It's the plays the refs allow that matter, as common sense as that sounds.

The third-year quarterback was asked if the game was his best overall performance in the NFL, per The Seattle Times' Bob Condatta:

"

No, I don’t think so. There were some things in there that I missed that I wish I had back. But it’s a huge win. In terms of the competitive side, I always want to bring that to the table. I always want to keep fighting for my teammates and my teammates do the same thing for me. We keep battling. We can play so much better though and that’s the good thing about it. I know that I can play a lot better and that’s what we’re looking forward to. We’re trying to hit our best every week. Until we do that every time, we’re never going to be satisfied.

"

If this wasn't his best, you have to wonder how much higher this straight shooter can go.

News and Notes

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Seahawks Could Move Back to AFC

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports the NFL will relocate one or two teams to Los Angeles within two years. According to B/R's Jason Cole, in the event that the Oakland Raiders are one of the teams to move to L.A., they would likely be shifted to the NFC West to be sure to keep two teams from the same city from playing in the same division. 

In this event, the Seahawks would then return to the conference from where they came and be placed in the AFC West. Whether the rivalry with the San Francisco 49ers would still be going strong at that point is anybody's guess.

Dissecting the Seahawks Offense

Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders (subscription required) wrote an intensely in-depth article studying everything about the Seahawks offense. The article touches on zone-read option, play action, Russell Wilson throwing from outside the pocket, undrafted receivers, etc.

Quote of the Week

Pete Carroll on the challenges of facing quarterback Tony Romo:

"

It’s much the same as you know you have a guy that can get it done. He can just do it. He can throw for 400 on a day and the games never over when he has a shot. He’s a little different, more mobile. More creative in his ways to find receivers. He can get out of trouble magnificently. He had a great one against JJ Watt. Watt had him dead and somehow he got out. It’s really cool to look at him just barely peek out around the corner of his eye to see him come and how he found a way to do that. That element that he adds to their game you know, in that sense. But he’s big time productive can get it done and as cool as a quarterback can play.

"

Injury Report

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Player	Position	Injury Status
Marshawn Lynch	RB	Probable
Russell Okung	OT	Questionable
Percy Harvin	WR	Questionable
Zach Miller	TE	Out
Tharold Simon	CB	Out
Bruce Irvin	OLB	Probable
Jeremy Lane	CB	Short-term IR
Kevin Norwood	WR	Questionable
Eric Pinkins	DB	PUP
Max Unger	C	day-to-day
Alvin Bailey	G	day-to-day

*All injury information gathered from Rotoworld.com

Cornerback Marcus Burley has rounded into form over the last two weeks, making the losses of Tharold Simon and Jeremy Lane much easier to give time to heal. The injury to center Max Unger could dampen the team's offensive line a week after a less-than-stellar performance in front of a national audience.

The Seahawks signed center Patrick Lewis to help fill in as a reserve. Though Max Unger's injury is the most serious, the injuries to Russell Okung and Alvin Bailey aren't too serious. Tight ends Luke Willson and Cooper Helfet will have another opportunity to cover for Zach Miller's absence after a solid showing against Washington. 

X-Factors and Matchups

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DT Henry Melton vs. Seattle's Interior Offensive Line

J.R. Sweezy has gotten off to a poor start in his 2014 campaign as a starting guard. Per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), the third-year talent has been poor in both pass and run blocking so far. His minus-3.9 score in pass blocking is the concern here, as Henry Melton presents a serious threat to forcing pressure up the middle of the pocket.

Melton, a Seahawks free-agent target during the offseason, has racked up two sacks, two QB hits, seven hurries and one batted pass this season. Sweezy, conversely, has allowed a sack, two quarterback hits and six hurries. Combine these statistical comparisons with starting center Max Unger possibly missing this weekend's game, and the problem is compounded.

Stephen Schilling is in line to start if Unger can't play. Schilling played four snaps against the Washington Redskins on Monday night and lost all three battles on his run snaps. There is a very real possibility of Melton wreaking havoc in the backfield on Sunday.

TE Jason Witten vs. K.J. Wright

K.J. Wright has been a gaping hole in coverage this year, but over the last two games, he's been markedly improved in the area. In four games, the outside linebacker has allowed all but one of the passes thrown into his coverage to be completed. Quarterbacks are 14-of-15 for 151 yards and a score this season.

This week, Jason Witten becomes yet another threat for passes over the middle. Witten hasn't had a particularly special start to the year, in comparison to the rest of his career, making 19 catches on 28 targets for 215 yards. It could be tough sledding for the Cowboys in the running game, so taking advantage of possible mismatches in the passing game will be Dallas' next move. This battle will decide a lot in this game.

RB DeMarco Murray vs. Seattle Front Seven

The Dallas Cowboys have run the ball more than any other team this year with 163 carries. DeMarco Murray has taken 130 of those carries, or handling 79.8 percent of Dallas' runs. Despite Murray's success, there is a clear weakness for the Seattle front to exploit. Rookie right guard Zack Martin has been the sole liability in the running game for the Cowboys offensive line.

Defensive tackles Kevin Williams and Brandon Mebane will need to win these battles and penetrate into the backfield to help Seattle maintain its top ranking in run defense this season. If Seattle is able to limit Dallas' running game the same way it has other offenses, Tony Romo will be forced to throw the ball more than anyone but his receivers would like.

Pro Bowl safety Earl Thomas added his two cents on the importance of stopping the Cowboys rushing attack, per The Seattle Times' Condatta:

"

It’s always about that; I think when you can make a team one-dimensional and you know it’s a pass, it starts becoming 7-on-7, and you can kind of translate your mind into a pass thought; you don’t know if it’s going to be a play-action or run. So I’d rather make a team one-dimensional and take their strengths away from them and make them beat you with their weaknesses.

"

Prediction

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When looking into the intricacies of each of these teams, it looks as though the difference between these combined 7-2 teams will be defense. With both teams' strengths on offense being their ground game, the difference will come down to offensive diversity and defense.

The Seahawks pose a three-headed monster, of sorts, in their rushing attack with their use of the zone-read option and decoys with Percy Harvin, Marshawn Lynch and Russell Wilson. As I mentioned before, Dallas' attack is pretty much based solely on the play of DeMarco Murray.

The Seahawks post the No. 1 defense in total yards rushing per game and yards per carry, and the Cowboys are below average at 31st in rushing yards per carry and 20th in yards allowed. The vast difference in defensive effectiveness is reason enough for my prediction.

Prediction: Seattle 34, Dallas 21