It wasn't pretty, but the Seattle Seahawks defeated the Dallas Cowboys 13-12. The Cowboys had nothing going on offense and are now 2-5. The Seahawks will gladly take the win, which improves them to 4-4. Here are three things we learned from each team in the Seahawks' win.
Seattle Seahawks:
1. Defense Was Amazing
Hats off to the Seattle defense, which complete shut down the Cowboys. The Cowboys had just 220 yards of offense, a meager 91 of which came through the air. Matt Cassel as completely ineffective and the Seahawks did a great job of limiting the Cowboys' run game. This is the type of defensive effort that gives a team confidence for the rest of the season.
2. Good Things Happen When Jimmy Graham Is Involved
Seattle targeted Graham often, as he reeled in 7 catches for 75 yards on 10 targets. Those are numbers the Seahawks should try to replicate often, because Graham is easily Russell Wilson's best weapon. If Graham can't catch five or more balls per game, the Seahawks did something wrong.
3. A "Weak" Win
A win is always a win and the Seahawks will take it, but this wasn't exactly an impressive performance from the offense. Holding the Cowboys to 12 points is great, but Seattle should be able to score more than 13. The offensive line still has issues, and the Seahawks won't beat many teams with only 13 points. Still, the Seahawks are in the middle of the playoff race.
Dallas Cowboys:
1. Defense Played Well
We'll start with a positive for Dallas. The defense stepped up, limiting the Seahawks to just 13 points. The Cowboys' defense wasn't perfect, but they played well enough to win. Unfortunately, the offense failed to hold up their end.
2. Matt Cassel Isn't The Answer
Dallas made the right move in benching Brandon Weeden and starting Matt Cassel, because something had to change. Unfortunately, Cassel isn't the answer on offense. He looked awful against Seattle and Weeden might actually be the superior QB. The Cowboys have no good options at QB, which means they are in big trouble.
3. Cowboys Are In Major Trouble
I can't shake the feeling that the Cowboys would at least be 6-1 if Tony Romo were healthy. Instead, the team is reeling with five straight losses. Even the return of Dez Bryant (who only had two catches for 12 yards) wasn't enough to boost the Cowboys. The Eagles are next for Dallas, followed by the Buccaneers. The Cowboys have to find a way to win one of those games. The Cowboys simply can't hold a 2-7 record when Romo returns if they want to make the playoffs. All Dallas fans can do is hope that the team wins at least one, and that Romo returns with vengeance.
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