| Advertisement |
ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Seattle defense took the return of Dallas star running back Ezekiel Elliott in stride as the Seahawks clamped down and paved the way to a 21-12 victory on Sunday afternoon at AT&T Stadium. Seattle scored 21 points off Dallas turnovers and kept the Cowboys out of the end zone, thus keeping the Seahawks' playoff hopes alive.
Advertisement
Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson passed for just 93 yards, but he threw a pair of short touchdown passes that proved vital to Seattle's playoff push. With the Atlanta Falcons (9-6) and Detroit Lions (8-7) both losing on Sunday, the Seahawks (9-6) are still in the hunt for an NFC wild-card berth.
The Cowboys (8-7) squandered Elliott's return by losing the turnover battle 3-0, and they were eliminated from playoff contention.
Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott completed 21 of 34 passes for 182 yards with a pair of interceptions and no touchdowns.
The Seahawks scored 14 points off the Prescott interceptions, both of which came in the third quarter.
Seattle went ahead early in the third when cornerback Justin Coleman grabbed an errant, floating Prescott pass and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown and a 14-9 lead.
The Seahawks then stopped a Dallas drive late in the third quarter when a Prescott pass bounced high off of wide receiver Dez Bryant's hands. Linebacker K.J. Wright ran under it for the pick that gave Seattle the ball at its own 21.
Wilson made the second interception count by directing a 13-play, 79-yard touchdown drive. The Seattle QB tossed a 6-yard touchdown pass to Doug Baldwin to give the Seahawks a 21-12 lead with 12:05 remaining.
Elliott returned from his six-game suspension for violation of the NFL's personal-conduct policy and made an early impact on the Dallas offense.
In the week leading up to the game, Cowboys coach Jason Garrett was evasive about how Elliott would be used in his return. Elliott ran early and often as he took the ball on Dallas' first 14 designed rushing plays by the middle of the second quarter.
Elliott gained 51 yards on 11 carries in the first quarter. He powered the Cowboys' first scoring drive, rushing for 26 yards on five totes to set up kicker Dan Bailey's 34-yard field goal on the third play of the second quarter.
Elliott finished with 97 yards on 24 carries.
Bailey added a 51-yarder that gave Dallas a 6-0 lead with 5:53 left before halftime.
However, Seattle squashed the Cowboys' first-half momentum when Wright recovered Bryant's fumble at the Dallas 43.
The Seahawks moved in for the go-ahead score as Wilson picked apart the Cowboys' defense. He hit running back Mike Davis for a 12-yard gain to start the drive, scrambled for 14 yards and induced a pass-interference penalty on a toss to tight end Jimmy Graham in the end zone.
Wilson capped the 43-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Graham for a 7-6 lead with 1:38 left in the second quarter.
Prescott responded by directing a quick eight-play, 49-yard drive that allowed Bailey to give the Cowboys a 9-7 halftime lead with another 51-yard field goal.
NOTES: The Seahawks hops to continue its five-season playoff streak, a string that included appearances in Super Bowls XLVIII and XLIX. The Seahawks' playoff streak is the second-longest active run behind New England's nine straight playoff appearances. ... Dallas fell to 10-8 in the all-time series against Seattle. ... Dallas DE DeMarcus Lawrence, who began Sunday in third place in the NFL in sacks this season with 13 1/2, added one to his total against Seattle.
