DC.COM: First Impressions: Broaddus' Initial Take From Seattle Loss

[WoodysGirl]

Bryan Broaddus
Football Analyst/Scout

The Seahawks have done a much better job with their personnel since Pete Carroll took over three years ago, but there still is a gap between them and the Cowboys. In this game, Seattle needed to get some breaks, and thanks to problems on the Dallas special teams, the Seahawks were indeed able to get 10 points off turnovers.

There were two things that were going to help Seattle’s rookie quarterback Russell Wilson against the Cowboys: his defense and the running game with Marshawn Lynch. The Seahawks plan was pretty simple in the first half. They relied heavily on Lynch and they didn’t let Wilson make any critical errors. In the second half it was more of the same, with Lynch running the ball, which then protected Wilson from mistakes.

Where the Seahawks really hurt Dallas was in their ability to be more physical up front on both sides of the ball. The Cowboys really didn’t have an answer for that all day.

Read the rest: http://www.dallascowboys.com/news/article-BryanBroaddus/First-Impressions-Broaddus-Initial-Take-From-Seattle-Loss/982c3c29-e739-47d6-b6e7-1294ffb2b374

[RCowboyFan]

Well put out thoughts by Broaddus, I think he is spot on. Really early miscues really gave the energy and confidence to Seattle, pretty much put Cowboys back behind Eight ball, they need to play perfect game after those miscues to win it. But they kept making mistakes, dropping catches etc.

[McLovin]

So Broaddus says:
the talent level favors the boys
they lost the battles upfront, no answer for it
Seattle had a nice plan on both sides of the ball and was simply just better.


So while I agree "breaks" (turnovers) can affect a game, lets not blame it on that.... it was 10-7 after the turnovers and we had the ball with a chance to take a lead. Philly overcame 9 turnovers in 2 weeks and 4 against the Ravens.

So Seattle's "plans" worked even though they aren't as talented...got it

[Gorgeyhopper]

So Broaddus says:
the talent level favors the boys
they lost the battles upfront, no answer for it
Seattle had a nice plan on both sides of the ball and was simply just better.


So while I agree "breaks" (turnovers) can affect a game, lets not blame it on that.... it was 10-7 after the turnovers and we had the ball with a chance to take a lead. Philly overcame 9 turnovers in 2 weeks and 4 against the Ravens.

So Seattle's "plans" worked even though they aren't as talented...got it

Exactly.. I'm sure since he's the Dallas cowboys resident "scout" writer he has to put a positive slant on it.

[Future]

It comes down to two things.

The Cowboys players are soft.
We got vastly outcoached.

Anything else is semantics.

[28 Joker]

I'm stunned that Dallas' offensive "super stars" let a team with a rookie QB beat them. 7 points....I know Seattle has a good secondary, but that was embarrassing and unexpected. Jason Witten looked old in that game, but he is coming off a spleen injury. Bryant and Austin didn't make nearly enough plays against that defense. Seattle even shut down the almighty one, DeMarco Murray. Romo's interception was ill-advised and costly, and they dropped another one. I expected a tough game, but losing this game was a surprise. The Cowboys had 4-0 as a realistic goal, and they came out and got dominated. Winning the division and getting a bye just became harder, and the Cowboys need to do that if they want any hope of getting to the Super Bowl.

Can we stop the non-sense of saying how deep the Cowboys are on the defensive line? Jay Ratliff would have been trucked, too. So, don't even try that.

It did look like the Cowboys were out-coached in this game, too.

The defense did a nice job after Felix's kickoff return fumble, but you can't give up a free 7 points (via a blocked punt). The kickoff blocking looks really bad, and bringing the ball out so deep is a long-shot. Jones looked like he was about to pop one of them, but his own guy flew in and hit him and knocked him down as he was about to hit a decent crack.

However... 7 points by the almighty Dallas offense...

I saw the QB have enough time to throw the football and do some damage, but Dallas' offense scored 7 points. Where were those almighty receivers?

[Cowboys&LakersFan]

It comes down to two things.

The Cowboys players are soft.
We got vastly outcoached.

Anything else is semantics.

We're not soft. We have several players who have played through injuries before most notably Tony, Ware, and Dez. One game doesn't make us a soft football team. I'm not even sure how we can be a soft team. Football is a brutal and physically demanding sport. Soft people can't play it.

[bbailey423]

We're not soft. We have several players who have played through injuries before most notably Tony, Ware, and Dez. One game doesn't make us a soft football team. I'm not even sure how we can be a soft team. Football is a brutal and physically demanding sport. Soft people can't play it.
we are soft....and this core always have been. starting with dware picking QBs up after he sacks him. Did you see the Golden Tate hit on Sean Lee. We have not seen that level of agression in Dallas since the EARLY Roy Williams years. No one on our team would do that. Because we don't play with the proper level of violence this game requires. Now someone on our team MIGHT find the courage to legally lay someone out NOW....but it would be AFTER we have seen one of our own get laid out. It has nothing to do with playing through injuries. EVERY player in the NFL plays through injuries. But not everyone plays this game like it is a gentlemans sport...Dallas does....and it has been this way since Jimmy left the building.

[Bigdog24]

we are soft....and this core always have been. starting with dware picking QBs up after he sacks him. Did you see the Golden Tate hit on Sean Lee. We have not seen that level of agression in Dallas since the EARLY Roy Williams years. No one on our team would do that. Because we don't play with the proper level of violence this game requires. Now someone on our team MIGHT find the courage to legally lay someone out NOW....but it would be AFTER we have seen one of our own get laid out. It has nothing to do with playing through injuries. EVERY player in the NFL plays through injuries. But not everyone plays this game like it is a gentlemans sport...Dallas does....and it has been this way since Jimmy left the building.

Well Said.....Garretts Cowboys play predictable fineese football a princton mentality...

Gruden 2013

[jazzcat22]

Well Said.....Garretts Cowboys play predictable fineese football a princton mentality...

Gruden 2013


Extremely predictable....how many times have we heard after we got scholled...."we knew what they were going to do"...way too many times...how many times has the Cowboys made this comment...I can't recall too any times...maybe 3 years ago against the Eagles in the playoffs was the last time.

[Seven]

I'm stunned that Dallas' offensive "super stars" let a team with a rookie QB beat them. 7 points....I know Seattle has a good secondary, but that was embarrassing and unexpected. Jason Witten looked old in that game, but he is coming off a spleen injury. Bryant and Austin didn't make nearly enough plays against that defense. Seattle even shut down the almighty one, DeMarco Murray. Romo's interception was ill-advised and costly, and they dropped another one. I expected a tough game, but losing this game was a surprise. The Cowboys had 4-0 as a realistic goal, and they came out and got dominated. Winning the division and getting a bye just became harder, and the Cowboys need to do that if they want any hope of getting to the Super Bowl.

Can we stop the non-sense of saying how deep the Cowboys are on the defensive line? Jay Ratliff would have been trucked, too. So, don't even try that.

It did look like the Cowboys were out-coached in this game, too.

The defense did a nice job after Felix's kickoff return fumble, but you can't give up a free 7 points (via a blocked punt). The kickoff blocking looks really bad, and bringing the ball out so deep is a long-shot. Jones looked like he was about to pop one of them, but his own guy flew in and hit him and knocked him down as he was about to hit a decent crack.

However... 7 points by the almighty Dallas offense...

I saw the QB have enough time to throw the football and do some damage, but Dallas' offense scored 7 points. Where were those almighty receivers?

The coach shut down Murray. They quit running the ball......again. And Romo almost had 3 INT's as a result.....again.

[rwalters31]

So Broaddus says:

the talent level favors the boys
they lost the battles upfront, no answer for it
Seattle had a nice plan on both sides of the ball and was simply just better.
So while I agree "breaks" (turnovers) can affect a game, lets not blame it on that.... it was 10-7 after the turnovers and we had the ball with a chance to take a lead. Philly overcame 9 turnovers in 2 weeks and 4 against the Ravens.

So Seattle's "plans" worked even though they aren't as talented...got it

You spoke true, the battle was lost in the trenches. The weakness will keep the Cowboys out of the Superbowl this year.:(

[Future]

We're not soft. We have several players who have played through injuries before most notably Tony, Ware, and Dez. One game doesn't make us a soft football team. I'm not even sure how we can be a soft team. Football is a brutal and physically demanding sport. Soft people can't play it.
Mentally soft.

[ravidubey]

The Cowboys defense is built to win with the lead. They can not physically match up against a balanced attack for four quarters.

Ryan's zone scheme was silly against a team that had no ability to get deep. They go man-up against the fricking Giants and then lollygag in deep zones against Seattle. What the Hell?

Offensively the team has to stay balanced or the OL has no chance to matchup against almost any NFL defense.

Seattle knew when we were passing and blitzed us, and Bernadeau and Free were awful. The right matchups were Ogletree and Witten, but outside of a couple of plays it never materialized. When receivers dropped the ball it ended drives and hung our defense out to dry. Dallas needed to get some basic plays going and not challenge deep zones every time. Are we too arrogant to recognize our own deficiencies? Romo can't be magic every single game.

[DFWJC]

I think his points are all good--though the mismatch on both lines tells me that his "talent" comment could be off some.

[AdamJT13]

So while I agree "breaks" (turnovers) can affect a game, lets not blame it on that.... it was 10-7 after the turnovers and we had the ball with a chance to take a lead. Philly overcame 9 turnovers in 2 weeks and 4 against the Ravens.

I'd say fumbling the opening kickoff, getting a punt blocked and returned for a touchdown and then throwing an interception within the first few minutes changed the game entirely because it played right into the Seahawks' hands. They have a very good defense and an offense that can move the chains when it doesn't make mistakes but can't do much downfield or score a lot of points.

Those early big plays (I wouldn't call them "breaks," because they were plays that they made and we did not) meant that Seattle had a 10-0 lead and had us pinned at our own 5-yard line late in the first quarter -- at which point their offense had ONE first down. For the Seahawks, that was a dream scenario. As long as they stayed in the lead, they could just rely on their defense and grind out their offense without ever having to rely on Wilson.

[McLovin]

I'd say fumbling the opening kickoff, getting a punt blocked and returned for a touchdown and then throwing an interception within the first few minutes changed the game entirely because it played right into the Seahawks' hands. They have a very good defense and an offense that can move the chains when it doesn't make mistakes but can't do much downfield or score a lot of points.

Those early big plays (I wouldn't call them "breaks," because they were plays that they made and we did not) meant that Seattle had a 10-0 lead and had us pinned at our own 5-yard line late in the first quarter -- at which point their offense had ONE first down. For the Seahawks, that was a dream scenario. As long as they stayed in the lead, they could just rely on their defense and grind out their offense without ever having to rely on Wilson.

Having a 10-7 lead in the second quarter and Dallas with the ball to tie or lead is not something most good teams end up getting blown out 27-7.

They weathered the punt block and kickoff fumble to be down 3 with the ball. Ended up 13-7 at the half....We hold them to 12 yards on the opening second half possession, get the ball back (again) with a chance to take the lead.


If Seattle's plan to have Dallas " playing right into their hands" was to be up by less than a TD for 2 possesions, then that says volumes more about Dallas than Seattle.

The Giants were down 14 at the half (3 ints / pick 6) and won by 7, NE was down by 14 and a shanked FG lost it.

Seattle played a good game, but any offense that only puts up 7 points is going to lose most of the time

[arglebargle]

It comes down to two things.

The Cowboys players are soft.
We got vastly outcoached.

Anything else is semantics.

"It comes down to two things."....

'I have been sharpening my axe.

I get to deploy it now.'