The Dallas Cowboys established themselves as perhaps the cream of the NFC, going to Seattle and downing the Seahawks, 30-23, in front of what is purportedly the loudest crowd in the league. DeMarco Murray rushed for 115 yards on 29 carries to become just the second player to ever rush for more than 100 yards in his first six games to start an NFL season, joining Jim Brown who accomplished the same feat in 1958.
Cowboys vs. Seahawks final score: 3 things we learned from Dallas’ record-setting win
DeMarco Murray was the star of the day, rushing for 115 yards to tie Jim Brown’s record with six games of more than 100 yards rushing to start the season.
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The Cowboys played a fabulous first half in Seattle. They outgained Seahawks 234 total yards to 83, thanks to stout defense and efficient offense. Dallas went 7-for-9 on third down conversions, and gained 14 first downs to Seattle’s three. Seattle had just 17 yards rushing at half.
The Seahawks were opportunistic, however. They were down just seven points at halftime thanks to a touchdown scored on a blocked punt. In the third quarter, the Cowboys handed the ball over twice on bad fumbles -- Dwayne Harris muffed a punt just outside the 10-yard line, and miscommunication caused a fumbled shotgun snap just outside the 20. With two short fields, the Seahawks were able to take a 20-17 lead.
The turnovers successfully stymied the Cowboys on offense. Murray’s production slowed and Dallas began giving the ball back on fourth downs. The Cowboys’ defense stayed strong, however, forcing punts after the disastrous turnovers. And eventually, the Cowboys were able to reignite their offense.
The Seahawks took a 23-20 lead midway through the fourth quarter after a Cowboys punt deep from their own territory led to good field position once again. Then the Cowboys regained possession and stormed down the field. Romo hit Terrence Williams on an unbelievable throw-and-catch to Terrence Williams to convert a 3rd-and-20 ...
... then Murray took over. He had four carries for 46 yards on the drive, the biggest being a 15-yard burst to give the Cowboys a 27-23 lead, as well as tie Brown’s record.
Three things we learned:
1) The Seahawks are mortal at home
The Seahawks entered Sunday's game having won 17 of their last 18 games at CenturyLink. The field had come to be known as one of the league's most lopsided homefield advantages, but the Cowboys didn't seem to have any trouble with the noise. Tony Romo and a big offensive line were poised, setting Murray up for history on this run:
The Seahawks had been allowing just 62.3 yards per game on the ground at 2.6 yards per carry. The Cowboys marched into Seattle and punched them in the mouth.
2) The Cowboys’ defense is shockingly good
A lot has been made of the Cowboys' offense, but in the second half it was the defense that kept Dallas in the game after the offense bogged down from turnovers. The Seahawks' running game was anemic, and when Russell Wilson briefly had success passing on first down the Cowboys stopped that too.
Forced to carry the offense himself, Wilson had a mediocre day, going 14-for-28 passing for 126 yards and a game-sealing interception. He was under constant pressure, and Seahawks receivers were rarely open. Given how hectic the offseason was for Dallas, Rod Marinelli deserves a ton of credit for the job he has done reorganizing this unit.
What Happened Sunday
3) These may be the two best teams in the NFC right now
"Right now" being an important caveat, because this is still Week 6, and early-season momentum doesn't always translate to the playoffs. Still, these teams have dominant units that should win every matchup they face the rest of the way. There may not be a defensive front that can fully neutralize DeMarco Murray and the Cowboys' offensive line. The Seahawks are so complete that even their off games don't seem so bad.
And who else is there? The San Francisco 49ers' two early losses are still worrisome, the NFC South is down, the NFC North is muddy, and the Cowboys' division pals the Philadelphia Eagles haven't looked as good against weaker competition.
A rematch between the Seahawks and Cowboys in the NFC Championship Game wouldn’t be that surprising, at this point.
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