Who has the edge on Saturday: Dak or Russ? Zeke or Seattle’s RBs? Garrett or Carroll?
Quarterbacks
Cowboys: Dak Prescott is a winner who is trying to establish a legacy by winning in the playoffs. You can’t judge him by stats. But his numbers are pretty good. Prescott passed for 22 touchdowns and 8 interceptions and six rushing touchdowns this season. He is the first player in NFL history with 20+ pass TD and 5+ rush TD in each of his first 3 seasons.
Seahawks: Russell Wilson is who Prescott hopes to become and is coming off arguably his finest season with 35 touchdowns to just seven interceptions. He finished as the league’s third ranked passer. But Wilson, who has already won a Super Bowl, is at his best late in games. He is tough to get on the ground and seemingly always finds away to make a play.
Edge: Seattle
Running backs
Cowboys: Ezekiel Elliott led the NFL with 1,434 yards on 304 carries. He is the bell cow of the Cowboys running game and offense in every sense of the word. Elliott also led the Cowboys in receptions with 77 catches for 567 yards. The Cowboys will try to set the tone and control the game with Elliott and physical rushing attack. It sets up manageable third downs for Prescott.
Seahawks: Seattle has the No. 1 rushing attack in the NFL and they do it with a running back-by-committee. Chris Carson leads the way with 1,151 yards on 247 carries. But they also have Mike Davis with 514 yards on 112 carries as well as Rashaad Penny with 419 yards on 85 carries. And that is not even including Wilson on the zone read or scrambles from the pocket.
Edge: Push
Wide receiver/tight end
Cowboys: Amari Cooper was not a member of the Cowboys the first time these two teams played. He has changed the whole dynamic of the entire receiver corps as the No. 1 option. Cooper has 53 catches for 725 yards with six touchdowns in nine games with the Cowboys. Cole Beasley and Michael Gallup have been the primary benefactors of the attention paid to Cooper. Tight Blake Jarwin had 20 catches and three touchdowns in the last four games.
Seahawks: Tyler Lockett and Doug Baldwin are dangerous and underrated. Lockett had 57 catches for 965 yards with 10 touchdowns and no interceptions. Wilson had a 158.3 passer rating throwing to him. Baldwin missed three games but had 50 catches for 618 yards. It’s his lowest output since 2012. But is has proven to be clutch and has a knack for making plays with Wilson. Tight ends Nick Vannett and Ed Dickson combined for 41 catches and six touchdowns.
Edge: Cowboys
Offensive line
Cowboys: This is not the Cowboys unit that was once considered the premiere OL in football. Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith and Pro Bowl right guard Zack Martin are coming of injuries but should be good to go. Rookie Connor Williams will start at left guard in place of the injured Xavier Su’a-Fila. Williams struggled in the first meeting but says he is more comfortable.
Seattle: The Seahawks have struggled up front as well, allowing 51 sacks. Left tackle Duane Brown is the best of the bunch. The unit however paved the way for the No. 1 rushing offense in the league. Seattle is coming off injuries as well. Right guard D.J. Fluker and left guard J.R. Sweezy missed the season finale with injuries. They should play against the Cowboys.
Edge: Dallas
Defensive line
Cowboys: Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence has 10.5 sacks but he is relentless with pressure and quarterback hits that rank among the best in the league. Randy Gregory has added six sacks and Tyrone Crawford has 5.5 to support Lawrence. But the Cowboys are fifth in the league against the run because of tackles Antwaun Woods and Maliek Collins.
Seattle: The Seahawks are a handful up front. Defensive end Frank Clark is a dominant force with 13 sacks. Defensive tackle Jarron Reed has come into his own in the middle with 10.5 sacks and will be a handful for Williams as well backup plugger Poona Ford. But Seattle does give up 113.2 yards per game on the ground.
Edge: Seahawks
Linebackers
Cowboys: According to Pro Football Focus, Leighton Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith are the fourth and fifth best linebackers in the NFL, respectively. Vander Esch replaced an injured Sean Lee to lead the team in tackles and Smith has been a playmaker in the middle with four sacks, five tackles for loss and two fumble recoveries. Lee should return for the playoffs, offering depth and experience.
Seahawks: Bobby Wagner may be the best middle linebacker in the NFL. He certainly will be the best linebacker on the field Saturday. He does everything for the Seattle defense and is one the remaining few stars from the famed “Legion of Boom” unit that led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl title. K.J. Wright, a former Pro Bowler, is returning to form after being sidelined by a knee injury for much of the season.
Edge: Push
Secondary
Cowboys: Dallas has league’s 13th ranked pass defense and is led by Pro Bowl cornerback Byron Jones, who has thrived in moving over from safety under the tutelage of former Seahawks defensive coordinator Kris Richard. Cornerback Chido Awuzie has gotten better as the season has gone on and free safety Xavier Woods have turned into a hammer on the back end.
Seattle: The Seahawks no longer have a difference maker in the secondary with safety Earl Thomas injured and cornerback Richard Sherman with the 49ers. Strong safety Bradley McDougald has been solid and Shaquill Griffin has developed into their best cornerback. Seattle has the league’s 17 ranked pass defense.
Edge: Dallas
Special teams
Cowboys: Brett Maher has made 29 of 36 field goals this season. He has made kicks from 59 and 62 yards but he can’t be trusted under 40 yards or late in games. It is a huge playoff concern. Punter Chris Jones is solid as they come, averaging 44.5 yards per attempt and downing 17 inside the 20.
Seahawks: Sebastian Janikowski is a veteran and proven kicker. He made 22 of 27 field goals this season and can be counted in the clutch. The true difference maker is rookie punter Michael Dickson, who averaged 48.2 yards per attempt. He can change field position with one boot.
Edge: Seattle
Coaches
Cowboys: Jason Garrett has one win in three playoff games. He has won two division titles the last three years but he may need to beat the Seahawks to guarantee his return for next season. His clock management and decision are always questioned but the team plays hard for him. Offensive coordinator Scott Linehan is certainly on the hot seat.
Seahawks: Pete Carroll remains the cool college coach from USC. What’s also true is that he just wins. He is one of two coaches with a national title and a Super Bowl title on his resume. He may have done is better jobs in 2018 after overhauling the Seahawks roster in the offseason and nurtured them to a 10-6 mark.
Edge: Seattle
Intangibles
Cowboys: The Cowboys were 7-1 at home in 2018. The crowd will be wearing all white in what is being called a “white-out.”
Seahawks: Seattle is well known for being tough beat at home. But it is a different story on the road. The Seahawks were 3-4 on the road in 2018, not including the neutral site game against the Raiders in London. The three road wins came against Arizona (3-13), Detroit (6-10) and Carolina (7-9). They do not have a road win against a winning team.
Edge: Dallas
This story was originally published January 4, 2019 at 11:37 AM.
