Further Review: When The Game Officially Turned
This time, the Cowboys left too much time on the clock when they made their fourth-quarter rally. Find out what really happened as the Seahawks made just too many plays from start to finish.
Player of the Game:
Without a doubt, it's Dak Prescott. The Cowboys' quarterback became the first player in NFL history to pass for over 400 yards and have three rushing touchdowns. That's just an example of the all-around game Prescott has and he put it on display. His arm helped him sling it around the yard for 450 yards but his toughness and strength got him into the end zone three times. More than anything, his will to win helped the Cowboys climb the hill time after time.
Nemesis:
Who else? Russell Wilson entered the game as one of the early front-runners for MVP. He should be the early-season favorite now after carving up the Cowboys for five touchdown passes and making every necessary play needed to lead Seattle to a win. Wilson was the best player on the field and the Cowboys had no answers.
Unsung Hero:
We saw this at training camp, but few people really expected Cedrick Wilson to get enough reps during the regular-season games to make a big difference. But Wilson busted out with a career game, catching five passes for 107 yards and the first two touchdowns of his career. Wilson also had some clutch catches in the fourth quarter as the Cowboys were driving for the game-tying score.
Turning Point:
The Cowboys trailed 16-15 late in the first half and just made a stop on the Seahawks to get the ball back at the 20 with time to take the lead. But on second down, Dak was picked off Shaquill Griffin with just 45 seconds left. The Seahawks were able to take the ball and score a touchdown, pushing the lead to eight at the break.
Need More From ...
The obvious answer is Ezekiel Elliott. And it's rare to find him in this category but the Cowboys needed more production in the running game. Zeke only had 34 rushing yards – the third-lowest single-game total of his career. He also had only 24 receiving yards on six catches. Zeke had 20 touches in the game, but only produced 68 yards. He also had some critical drops in the passing game on screen passes that kept the offense behind the chains as well.
Don't Forget ...
The Cowboys had the ball at the Seattle 21 with 4:19 to play, trailing 30-28. They kicked a field goal with 4:03 to play, which is an eternity for Russell Wilson when he needs a field goal, even though he led his team to a touchdown. But the Cowboys had to figure out a way to get more yards and/or chew up some time off the clock. There's no way they eat up the final four minutes but even half of that would've changed the Seahawks' approach and forced them to be more aggressive.
Remember Me?
Former Cowboys defensive end Benson Mayowa was one of Seattle's rotating pass-rushers in the game and had a huge fumble recovery early in the third quarter that led to a Seahawks touchdown. Mayowa, who played in Dallas from 2016-17, also had two hits on Dak Prescott.
So, That Happened:
What a crazy first half with all kinds of weird plays that could've changed the outcome. You had DK Metcalf getting stripped off the ball at the 1-yard line by Trevon Diggs that resulted in a touchback. Obviously, that's a seven-point swing against Seattle. The Cowboys had a bobbled kickoff that led to a safety and two extra points that were either missed or blocked. There's four points that would've been nice for the Cowboys to have when they're driving down the field in the final minutes trailing by seven.
Milestone:
Dak Prescott became the first player in Cowboys history to record consecutive 400-yard passing games but he's also just the second player in NFL history to have back-to-back games of 450 yards or more. Last week, Prescott had 450 exactly, but finished with a career-high 472 on Sunday.
Stat of the Game:
The Cowboys doubled up the Seahawks in penalties enforced, getting moved back 10 times, to just five for Seattle. However, Dallas had five more penalties called but declined by the Seahawks. It was a sloppy game for the Cowboys' defense, especially in the second quarter when they had trouble getting off the field. The penalties extended three different scoring drives for Seattle.
