Peter King's preview Cowboys/Seahawks game

[Hawkeye0202]

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.c...7-wild-card-playoffs-black-monday-peter-king/

Seattle (NFC 5th seed, 10-6) at Dallas (NFC 5th seed, 10-6), 8:15 p.m. ET, FOX. How strange. Dallas has the league rushing champion, but Seattle had the more productive run game this year. Hmmm. Ezekiel Elliott or Chris Carson. Who’d you rather have? But Seattle, after replacing Tom Cable with Mike Solari as offensive line coach, ran for a steamrolling 2,560 yards (4.8 per rush), compared to Dallas’ 1,963 (4.5 per rush). That could help Seattle take the Dallas crowd out of the game early. Running it so well has helped Russell Wilson have his best season (35 touchdowns, seven picks, 110.9 rating). Dallas’ two young linebackers, Leighton Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith, will be vital against the run and in spying Wilson. Offensively, the Cowboys have developed enough weaponry to win without Elliott dominating, as they showed in the 36-point game at the Giants on Sunday, when Elliott was a healthy scratch. The difference here could be how much the Seattle front seven, led by veteran linebackers Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright, can dent the Cowboys’ offensive line and pressure Dak Prescott, who was sacked a surprising 56 times this year. Seattle beat Dallas in Week 3, 24-13, in the Earl Thomas middle-finger game. Seems like 12 months ago, not three

 

[MarcusRock]

Seattle beat Dallas in Week 3, 24-13, in the Earl Thomas middle-finger game.

Umm, that wasn't the Earl Thomas middle finger game. Thomas got injured versus the Cards if I remember correctly.

 

[StylisticS]

Umm, that wasn't the Earl Thomas middle finger game. Thomas got injured versus the Cards if I remember correctly.

correct. our game was the take a bow game.

 

[Redball Express]

correct. our game was the take a bow game.

Don't you hate it when the staff reasearchers get it wrong?

And the writer does not fact check?

Reminds me of a lot of the posters here.

They can get our seeding correct also.

Never mind.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.c...7-wild-card-playoffs-black-monday-peter-king/
Offensive Players of the Week
Nick Foles, quarterback, Philadelphia. Well, he did it again. Last year it was a stunner over the Patriots to win the Super Bowl and the Super Bowl MVP. This year, it’s nothing quite as momumental—yet—but the surprise is nearly as much of a slap in the face. Foles led Philadelphia to three straight wins and a stunning sixth playoff slot in the NFC, finishing it off with 25 straight completions and a 28-of-33 day in the 24-0 shutout of Washington. Wouldn’t be Foles drama without this: He was hit hard in the fourth quarter and had to leave the game with an unspecified chest injury. Just more fodder for the Spielberg movie.

Dak Prescott, quarterback, Dallas. No one quite knew why Prescott was playing without his ace running back and left tackle, held out for a pre-playoff breather, and with nowhere to move in the playoff seeding. But hey, it was great fun while he played. Prescott completed 27 of 44 for four touchdowns and no picks, and his 32-yard TD laser to Cole Beasley in the back of the end zone (great catch, Beasley), followed by his two-point pass to Michael Gallup with 72 seconds left, beat the Giants 36-35.

 

[jazzcat22]

Don't you hate it when the staff reasearchers get it wrong?

And the writer does not fact check?

Reminds me of a lot of the posters here.

They can get our seeding correct also.

Never mind.

Use to be a reporter did their own fact finding. And yes they should always check the facts or review them if from someone else.

 

[cern]

earl Thomas will not be helping either team in the playoffs. same for next year. and everyone thought we'd lose to the best team in football, the new orleans saints. I think the victory over the giants might have our team feeling pretty good about itself and its qb.

 

[JJHLH1]

Saturday night can’t get here soon enough. Go Cowboys!

 

[Diehardblues]

Cowboys are usually over hyped at home from oddsmakers but not this week .

Cowboys only favored by 2 1/2. Which means basically since most home teams evenly matched are usually 3 point favorite the handicappers see Seattle as the favorite which I tend to agree with.

I hope the line moves to 3 or more and I’ll be on Seattle. They could win it outright.

 

[Point-of-the-Star]

Sloppy generic story. Pffftttttt .... flatulence in Peter Kings direction !

 

[TheSkaven]

Here’s a stat for you. The Cowboys are first in the league in 3rd down conversions (48%) after signing Amari Cooper.

That and turnovers are what will decide this game.

 

[Alexander]

And the writer does not fact check?

He also uses faulty logic to make a point.

When comparing Seattle's rushing output, he fails to acknowledge they had over 100 more attempts and also had the workload split over four backs plus Wilson. Dallas had Elliott and a handful for Smith plus Prescott.

 

[JW82]

Umm, that wasn't the Earl Thomas middle finger game. Thomas got injured versus the Cards if I remember correctly.

correct. Our game was more like the the Earl Thomas middle finger at Jerry for not trading for him game. lol

 

[blueblood70]

Cowboys are usually over hyped at home from oddsmakers but not this week .

Cowboys only favored by 2 1/2. Which means basically since most home teams evenly matched are usually 3 point favorite the handicappers see Seattle as the favorite which I tend to agree with.

I hope the line moves to 3 or more and I’ll be on Seattle. They could win it outright.

I agree and iM happy as the Boys cant sit back on this one and cruise into it, they got beat already earlier in the year by this team and now are underdogs in most all the National Chatter..this is better then them riding in over confident..

that first game was basically close until the 4th and we made those huge mistakes two Ints, Zeke fumble, Zeke stepping out, would be Td that would have gave us momentum, still only lost by 11 after all that.. I think we have a shot at winning this if we simply dont hurt ourselves..same as last year with Dez fumble etc, Romos bobble on the FG, always something with Seatle of late and we need to get that monkey off our back, we finally dont have to see GB and AR but now our other playoff destroyer Seatle..

This should keep the Boyz focused..

 

[Cowboy4ever]

Also we should keep in mind, we played Seattle early in the year, we have seen them, they haven't played this Cowboys team. Different OL, different OL coach, Better WR and TE are more up to speed. I think we will handle our business on Sat and then on to LA!

 

[Red Dragon]

Both Wilson and Prescott have been sacked a lot; over 50 times each.

I fear this is a game in which Wilson's extensive playoff experience will give him the edge over Dak.

 

[NumOneQB]

Both Wilson and Prescott have been sacked a lot; over 50 times each.

I fear this is a game in which Wilson's extensive playoff experience will give him the edge over Dak.

This right here.

 

[Risen Star]

Seahawks win this game.

 

[Don Corleone]

Peter King needs to hang it up. His quality is dropping.

 

[zekecowboy]

Both games will be close games.

NFC

Saturday, January 5

No. 5 Seattle at No. 4 Dallas (-2.5) (8:15 p.m., Fox)

Sunday, January 6

No. 6 Philadelphia at No. 3 Chicago (-5.5) (4:40 p.m., NBC)



The most competitive wild-card contest could occur at AT&T Stadium, as the experienced Seattle Seahawks, led by quarterback Russell Wilson, face off against Dallas' stingy defense.

The Cowboys entered Week 17 with the sixth-best total defense in the NFL, and despite giving up 35 points to the New York Giants, they enter the wild-card round with plenty of confidence.

While it was a questionable call to keep quarterback Dak Prescott in for the entire Week 17 clash, the Cowboys signal-caller picked up some valuable confidence by throwing for 387 yards and four touchdowns.

If Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott work into an offensive rhythm, they will be a menace to the Seattle defense that gave up 55 combined points in the last two games.

The other wild-card matchup features the defending Super Bowl champion and the team that allowed it to reach the postseason.


After benefiting from Minnesota's loss to Chicago to qualify for the playoffs, Philadelphia heads to Soldier Field to take on the NFC North winner.

The Bears boast a formidable defense led by linebacker Khalil Mack, but they're going up against one of the hottest teams in the NFL, as the Eagles knocked off the Los Angeles Rams and Houston in December.

However, the Bears could benefit from the health of the Eagles quarterbacks, as Nick Foles left the Week 17 clash with the Commanders with a bruised ribs, but ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the Eagles think he'll be fine.