The Dallas Cowboys welcome the Seattle Seahawks to AT&T Stadium for the NFC Wild Card opener this coming weekend. With matching 10-6 records, both teams clinched playoff positions in Week 16 and played meaningless Week 17 games. Russell Wilson and the ‘Hawks’ 18th-ranked offense will look to get back on track against what has been a stingy Cowboys defense of late.
Seattle (9-5-2 ATS) is coming off of a 38-31 playoff warm-up on Sunday that saw RB Chris Carson rack up 122 rushing yards and one TD on the day. Sunday marked Carson’s fifth time eclipsing the 100-yard mark in a game this season and he has cemented himself as the cornerstone in Seattle’s offense. Seattle will need their running back to continue producing at a high level against Dallas, as Wilson’s passing attack suffered through the regular season, ranking 27th in the league in passing yards per game (198.9).
On paper, that equation plays right into Dallas’ (9-7 ATS) strength. They’ve been dominant against the run all season and give up an average of 91.3 rushing yards per game. LB Leighton Vander Esch leads all defensive players on the Cowboys with 131 tackles and will be key to the Cowboys’ success against Carson. On the offensive side of the ball, the NFL’s rushing champ, Ezekiel Elliott, will take center stage against a middle-of-the-pack Seahawks’ run D. Look for this one to be won on the ground.
