Cowboys lose to Seattle Seahawks 27-17
The Cowboys lost to the Seattle Seahawks, 27-17, in their third Preseason game Thursday night. Ezekiel Elliott made his much anticipated debut and didn’t disappoint. He ran 7 times for 48 yards. Tony Romo went down with an injury, but Dak came to the rescue yet again. Russell Wilson did serious damage to the Cowboys defense. The Seahawks outplayed the Cowboys for much of the game. In the Preseason, it’s more about how the team looks rather than the final score. Here are my notes from the game on each position group.
Cowboys Offense
1st-Team Offense
Tony Romo got pulled after the first series of the game with an apparent back injury. He wanted back in but the coaching staff wouldn’t let him. Ezekiel Elliott looked powerful and decisive running behind the starting offensive line. Dak came in early and continued to look just as promising. He capped things off with a big touchdown pass to Jason Witten on an under-thrown ball. He looks extremely comfortable out there. It’s hard to believe he’s a rookie. Prescott got extended time with the ones and made the most of it.
Quarterbacks
Romo’s injury is not believed to be serious. It didn’t help slow down the Dak Prescott hype train however. Jameill Showers had his best game of the Preseason. He went 10-17, for 113 yards and a touchdown. This group looks like a strong one. Prescott has proven he can handle the NFL game if Romo should miss extended time.
Running Backs
Everyone was waiting to see Elliott make his first appearance in live action behind the best offensive line in football. He lived up to the hype and showed he can be a play-maker on his two drives. Alfred Morris played too but wasn’t as effective as Elliott. Something people don’t talk about as much is Elliott’s ability to pass-block which he showed early in the game. Darius Jackson quietly had a nice game. Everyone was focused on Elliott but Jackson has played well over these three games.
Wide Receivers
Without Dez Bryant, the other guys got more playing time. Brice Butler continues show good chemistry with Prescott. However, neither Butler or Terrence Williams separated themselves in the battle for the number-two receiver spot. Cole Beasley continues to find open space in zones to make pretty catch and runs. His spot as the slot receiver looks as safe as it can get. I would say Butler and Williams are neck and neck at this point and I would expect both of them to get significant playing time in the regular season.
Tight Ends
Jason Witten looked to be in vintage form on a nice touchdown pass from Dak Prescott. Geoff Swaim had a few nice grabs from Prescott, including laying out for one during the two-minute drill of the first half. He finished with five catches but just 17 yards.
Offensive Line
The starters did an amazing job of making Elliott look good in his first start. They continued to pass protect as a good as any team in football and deserve a great deal of credit for Prescott and Elliott’s success. They lost a few battles against the Seahawks’ elite front seven but that should be expected. Seahawks defensive end Cliff Avril got by to sack and knock Tony Romo out of the game.
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Cowboys Defense
1st-Team Defense
It was another up and down showing from the starters. They work together nicely at times and they look lost during some moments. The secondary looks stronger than most anticipated, but the entire defense looks like it can be exposed if you wear them down. They struggled with Wilson, as most defenses do, but the starters played good enough to be in the game.
Defensive Line
The defensive line got off to a nice start and continue show they are the key to this defense. Early on it looked like they could hold up against Wilson but once he got going he lit them up. Defensive end Lawrence Okoye played well and finished with a sack and five total tackles. Ryan Russell was all around the ball and looks like he could be in line for a nice role when the regular season starts.
Linebackers
Anthony Hitchens continues to improve and had one of his best games of the Preseason. Hitchens racked up 7 total tackles. He needs to get better against the pass but he’s definitely trending up. Kyle Wilber played well and the first team linebackers started the game well, as they did last week. Once the Seahawks figured them out, it looked to be a different game. This group is going through some growing pains but there’s no shame in getting beat by Russell Wilson.
Secondary
The secondary continues to depend on the pressure of the front four. It’s the way Marinelli’s defense is designed. They looked good when Wilson was pressured, but he also burned the starters when he got time in the second quarter. Rookie corner Anthony Brown had a good showing. He finished with 8 total tackles and a pass deflection. J.J Wilcox had another nice game.
Special Teams
Dan Bailey hit a 40-yard field goal as the first half expired. He also missed a 50-yarder. He looks to be in mid-season form, despite the miss. Lucky Whitehead had a nice kickoff return for 24-yards. He’s looking like it is his job to lose as the kick/punt returner.
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