Seahawks' ‘D’ earns ‘A’ so far
RENTOn – The Seattle Seahawks’ offense struggles with inconsistency, but the defense continues to play at a high level.
Seattle’s defense has allowed two touchdowns in the second half this season, the fewest in the NFL, and has given up just 33 points total in the final two quarters of games.
The Seahawks also remain stout against the run, giving up 3.16 yards per rush attempt, the best in the league. They rank 11th overall in rushing defense, giving up 102.9 yards a game.
“The guys played very physically,” said Seattle coach Pete Carroll about his team’s effort defensively against Cincinnati on Sunday. “They got after it on the running game. … It wasn’t perfect, but it was enough to put us in a position to win. (The Bengals) turned the ball over a couple times. I thought we kept the efficiency of the quarterback down. He (Andy Dalton) had been doing a nice job and I thought we gave him a hard time.”
The key for Seattle as they hit the road to play Dallas will be forgetting about the past and focusing on the future. They face a Cowboys squad looking to rebound from a disappointing 34-7 loss on the road to NFC East Division rival Philadelphia.
The 3-4 Cowboys are in danger of falling out of the playoff hunt with another loss, and understand they need to win at home against the Seahawks.
The Seahawks are 2-5 in Dallas against the Cowboys, losing by an average margin of 27.8 points. Seattle hasn’t won in Dallas since 2002.
“We have to come in and make corrections and get over it real quick because Dallas isn’t going to have any sympathy for us – trust me,” Seattle defensive back Roy Lewis said. “They’re going to come in trying to blow us out, period. And we need to expect that. So I think we need to get back to the drawing board, get back to the basics and play Seahawks ball like we know how, focus in and let’s get this show rolling. It’s well overdue.”
Eric D. Williams: 253-597-8437
eric.williams@thenewstribune.com blog.thenewstribune.com/seahawks
SEAHAWKS’ OPPONENT THIS WEEK
DALLAS COWBOYS (3-4)
10 a.m., Sunday, Cowboys Stadium
Against the Seahawks: This is the 13th meeting between the teams. The Cowboys hold an 8-4 advantage. Seattle is 2-5 in games played in Dallas and last won there in 2002. The last time the teams played, the Cowboys came out on top, 38-17, on Nov. 1, 2009.
Stats and stuff: Dallas quarterback Tony Romo is the 10th-ranked passer in the league with an 89.7 passer rating. Romo has completed 62.7 percent of his passes for 1,959 yards and 11 touchdowns, with seven interceptions. … His favorite target is tight end Jason Witten, who has 40 catches for 477 yards and three touchdowns. … Rookie running back DeMarco Murray has come on strong filling in for Felix Jones, who’s out with a high ankle sprain. Murray leads the team with 400 rushing yards and is averaging 6.9 yards per carry. Against St. Louis on Oct. 23, he rushed for 253 yards – the ninth-most rushing yards in NFL history. … Outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware is one of the best pass rushers in the game. Ware has 12 sacks this season, good enough for second overall in the league behind Minnesota’s Jared Allen (12.5), whose team has played one more game. Ware had 11 tackles and four sacks in a 34-7 loss to Philadelphia on Sunday night. … Inside linebacker Sean Lee leads Dallas in tackles (51) and interceptions (3), but his availability will be a question mark after he dislocated his wrist against the Eagles. … Starting cornerback Mike Jenkins could miss four games because of a hamstring injury. … Tacoma native and former Seahawk Jon Kitna serves as the backup quarterback for the Cowboys.
Quotable: “It’s not the first time I’ve said something and gotten my butt kicked. I got out-coached, out-everything. It’s all on me.” – Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan commenting after his team’s 34-7 loss to Philadelphia. Ryan referred to the Eagles as the “all-hype team” before the season started and said that the Cowboys would beat them.
COWBOYS’ SCHEDULE
Sept. 11 Jets 27, Cowboys 24
Sept. 18 Cowboys 27, Niners 24 (OT)
Sept. 26 Cowboys 18, Redskins 16
Oct. 2 Lions 34, Cowboys 30
Oct. 9 Bye
Oct. 16 Patriots 20, Cowboys 16
Oct. 23 Cowboys 34, Rams 7
Oct. 30 Eagles 34, Cowboys 7
Nov. 6 Seattle
Nov. 13 Buffalo
Nov. 20 at Washington
Nov. 24 Miami
Dec. 4 at Arizona
Dec. 11 N.Y. Giants
Dec. 17 at Tampa Bay
Dec. 24 Philadelphia
Jan. 1 at N.Y. Giants
Eric D. Williams, staff writer
