Why the Seattle Seahawks are built perfectly to compete with the Cowboys in Week 13

The Seattle Seahawks under Pete Carroll have lost three consecutive games only once. In that three-game stretch back in 2021, the Seahawks had the ball with the chance to win every game, ultimately failing to get the job done. But even with that in mind, a total of 221 games and only once has his Seattle squad lost three in a row, this is a testament to how competitive and resilient Seattle teams are with him walking the sidelines.

This week, Seattle plays the Dallas Cowboys, and the most famous national sports media considers this a one-sided affair. Still, that is an oversight of this Seattle team. Seattle boasts a capable offense (although hot and cold at times) and a defense that can stop the run and depend on their cornerback's ability to play man coverage.

Additionally, the Dallas Cowboys offense relies heavily on the wide receivers to beat man coverage and push the field vertically in the passing game. On the ground, Dallas can attack in a variety of ways. The Cowboys are diverse in the formations and concepts they attack with, especially in their rushing offense.

That said, Dallas relies on success in areas where the Seahawks are very strong. For example, Seattle's rushing defense has been a strength of the defensive unit all season long. Meanwhile, the Seahawks are excelling in man coverage within the passing defense. With a fully healthy secondary, Seattle boasts an impressive stable of young, reliable cornerbacks and veteran safeties.

The Seattle Seahawks could pull off an upset against the Cowboys in Week 13

In particular, the outstanding rookie Devon Witherspoon has looked as good as any cornerback in the NFL this season. Expect to see a lot of man coverage for him against CeeDee Lamb. As for both teams, the Cowboys have a plethora of good wide receivers to accompany Lamb, as does Witherspoon in Seattle. This is, without a doubt, my X-factor matchup in the game.

In the previous two weeks, Dallas has gotten Tony Pollard into the end zone and finally seems to have the ground game on stable tracks. Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks are aware of this coming into Thursday; also, for the better part of this NFL season, the Seahawks had one of the stoutest run defenses in the league even before the recent addition of Leonard Williams. This could be an advantage for the Seahawks on defense if they can make the Cowboys get into more extended third-down situations due to a lack of efficiency running the ball.

But lately, the Seahawks have been on a two-game skid, which should create a proper amount of urgency for this team. Pete Carroll knows how to get the best out of his players, and I expect that on Thursday Night Football this week. Seattle can come out fighting, but points must be scored if they wish to turn things around in the standings.

Every Seattle fan should know what the Seahawks must do: run the ball. Seattle is middle of the pack in almost every major passing category besides third down conversions, where the Seahawks range closer to one of the worst teams in the league. Seattle is falling behind with early down passing and needs to stop against the Cowboys; here's why.

Seattle is 30th in the NFL in rushing attempts, yet they are top 20 in the league in yards per attempt. The Seahawks are the 27th leading rushing team in total yardage, although they are top 10 in the league in yards before contact per attempt. The offense in Seattle is competent, as they average over four yards per carry and also over three yards per attempt before the defense even contacts them. On paper, Seattle should be one of the best running offenses in the league; it's about time Pete Carroll goes back to his old brand of football.

Likely without Kenny Walker III again, running the ball may be a tall task against a stout Dallas defense. This season, Dallas has given up the 12th fewest rushing yards to opposing teams, and, at the same time, they have compiled the second-fewest yards through the air. This defense is nothing to overlook, but they give up an average of 4.1 yards per attempt to running backs. For Seattle to be successful on offense, they will need to run the ball early and often to establish themselves.

Last but not least, Geno Smith and an underwhelming passing offense. As I mentioned earlier, thus far, the Seahawks are middle of the pack in every significant passing statistic, which is a big surprise compared to this group's expectations this season. But one area in particular stands out to me when I look at the advanced metrics: the deep ball.

Last season, Geno Smith was the NFL's most efficient deep ball thrower, completing passes of 20+ yards at nearly a 50 percent completion percentage. This year, Seattle ranks 22nd in the league in overall attempts and 29th in the league in attempts of 20+ yards. The Seahawks are less explosive, and Geno looks more timid than ever back in the pocket. This is a problem Shane Waldron and Pete Carroll need to address before it becomes the nasty narrative that will derail the playoff hopes for Seattle.

In conclusion, the Seahawks are positioned perfectly for a shot at one of the NFL's biggest title contenders this week. On defense, they match up very well against a talented Cowboys offense, and Offensively, Seattle has all the firepower it needs to score against the best teams in the NFL. The last thing left for the Seahawks players to do is bring even half of Pete Carroll's energy into AT&T Stadium in Dallas on Thursday.

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