The Dallas Cowboys are back in the NFL Playoffs and are set to hose a Wild Card Game on Saturday night. Dallas will host the Seattle Seahawks, who got in with the top Wild Card spot in the conference. Seattle was able to beat the Cowboys earlier this season, but the Cowboys have been playing much better football of late.
The Cowboys looked to be headed towards another disappointing season before acquiring wide receiver Amari Cooper. Dallas was able to win seven of their final eight games to hold off the Philadelphia Eagles and win the NFC East. The Seahawks also got off to a slow start to the season, but finished by winning six of seven games. Jason Garrett and the Dallas Cowboys are a two-point favorite in this game.
Tons of Pressure on Prescott
Dallas has struggled on offense for much of the season, and there is plenty of pressure on QB Dak Prescott to perform in this game. Prescott completed close to 68 percent of his passes during the regular season but threw for just 221 yards per game. Fortunately for Dallas, running back Ezekiel Elliott is one of the best in the league and should take some pressure off of the passing attack. Elliott leads the NFL with 1,434 rushing yards and averaged 4.7 yards per carry. Dallas will need to find a way to score to beat the Seahawks.
While the Cowboys offense struggled in the regular season, the defense showed up almost every single night. Dallas gave up just 20.3 points per game, and feature a pair of awesome linebackers in Leighton Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith. Vander Esch led the Cowboys with 140 tackles in his first year in the league, and Smith recorded four sacks and two forced fumbles. With the way that Seattle likes to run the football, these two players will be key for the Dallas defense.
Carson Emerging For Seattle
The Seahawks have been searching for their next Marshawn Lynch for a few seasons, but have finally found him in Chris Carson. Carson ran for over 1,150 yards during the regular season and averaged 4.7 yards per carry. The Seahawks ran for over 160 yards per game, and they will try to use that strategy against a solid Dallas defense. Quarterback Russell Wilson has shown the ability to make big plays in big games, and he has plenty of playoff experience. If the Seahawks are able to establish their run game on Saturday, Dallas could be in trouble.
Linebacker Bobby Wagner is one of the few holdovers on defense from the Super Bowl champion team. Wagner led the Seahawks with 138 tackles during the regular season, and you can bet that he will be ready to stop Ezekiel Elliott in this game. Seattle gave up 21.7 points per game during the regular season but held Dallas to just 13 points in their earlier meeting.
Dallas Finally Wins Playoff Game
Cowboys fans are tired of seeing their team lose their first playoff game each season, but their luck should change on Saturday. The Seahawks are a worthy opponent, but Seattle doesn’t have the type of playmakers to really challenge this Dallas defense. The addition of Amari Cooper gives Prescott another weapon to throw the ball to, and the Cowboys defense has been tremendous. Bet the Dallas Cowboys -2.0 over the Seattle Seahawks.
