Seahawks-Cowboys Preview

 

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• Countdown Daily Recap: Cowboys-Seahawks

SCOUTING REPORT

Seahawks-Cowboys: 10 observations After breaking down film of both teams, Scouts Inc. offers 10 things to watch in this week's Seahawks-Cowboys matchup. 1. Seattle's hurry-up offense: Do not be surprised to see the Seahawks in the hurry-up offense as early as the second or third offensive series, especially if they do not get into a good rhythm on the opening drive. QB Matt Hasselbeck and the offense seem to get into a better rhythm when they are in hurry-up mode, plus, they'll need to score some points this week against a suddenly explosive Cowboys offense.

· Full Scouting Report

Matchup
	W-L	PF	PA	HOME	ROAD	DIV	CONF
SEA	3-7	196	233	3-2	0-5	1-3	2-6
DAL	7-3	231	175	4-1	3-2	2-1	6-2
· Complete Standings

Individual Leaders

Seattle Passing   CMP% YDS TD INT Hassel... 60.1 1853 11 7 Wallac... 65.0 676 3 2

Dallas Passing   CMP% YDS TD INT Romo 60.0 2624 15 7

Seattle Rushing   CAR YDS AVG TD Jones 107 392 3.7 2 Forset... 45 255 5.7 2

Dallas Rushing   CAR YDS AVG TD Barber 123 572 4.7 4 Jones 54 353 6.5 1

Seattle Receiving   REC YDS AVG TD Burles... 51 662 13.0 3 Houshm... 54 618 11.4 3

Dallas Receiving   REC YDS AVG TD Austin 35 679 19.4 7 Witten 54 481 8.9 1

Full Player Stats: Seattle | Dallas

TEAM AVERAGES & NFL RANKS
TEAM OFFENSE	TEAM	PER GAME AVERAGE
Total Yards	SEA	325.0
	DAL	382.0
Yards Passing	SEA	240.6
	DAL	249.6
Yards Rushing	SEA	84.4
	DAL	132.3
TEAM DEFENSE	TEAM	PER GAME AVERAGE
Yards Allowed	SEA	347.3
	DAL	329.9
Pass Yds Allowed	SEA	236.8
	DAL	229.3
Rush Yds Allowed	SEA	110.5
	DAL	100.6

HEAD TO HEAD MATCHUPS (SINCE 2001)
Seattle leads 4-3
Nov 27, 2008	SEA 9, DAL 34
Jan 6, 2007	SEA 21, @DAL 20
Oct 23, 2005	SEA 13, @DAL 10
Dec 6, 2004	SEA 39, @DAL 43
Oct 27, 2002	SEA 17, DAL 14
Dec 16, 2001	SEA 29, @DAL 3

Tony Romo has found a No. 1 receiver in Miles Austin to solve the Dallas Cowboys' passing-game woes. The Seattle Seahawks wish they had similar chemistry between Matt Hasselbeck and T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

The Cowboys will try to improve to 3-0 with Austin as a starter Sunday when they host the Seahawks, who are hoping a week off will help Houshmandzadeh get untracked.

Romo had four touchdowns and four interceptions through four games for Dallas (4-2) before Austin was inserted into the lineup Oct. 11 for an injured Roy Williams. Austin set a franchise record with 250 yards receiving on 10 catches with two touchdowns, including a 60-yard score in overtime, in a 26-20 win at Kansas City.

That took the Cowboys into their bye week and Austin delivered another big performance last Sunday in a 37-21 win over Atlanta. He had six catches for 171 yards and two more TDs.

Romo has thrown for 662 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions in the last two games, and knows Austin deserves plenty of the credit.

"He's definitely a big part of this offense," Romo said. "I'm glad to see all his hard work and effort is paying off."

It's a different story in Seattle (2-4) for Houshmandzadeh, one of the prime free-agent receivers last spring following seasons of 90, 112 and 92 receptions with Cincinnati the previous three years -- the most in the NFL in that span.

Houshmandzadeh has 31 catches this season, tied for 19th in the league, and has just two touchdowns after signing a five-year contract that is believed to be worth $40 million, with $15 million guaranteed.

It hasn't helped matters that Hasselbeck, a three-time Pro Bowler, missed two games with broken ribs that still haven't fully healed. The Seahawks had their bye after Hasselbeck completed 10 of 29 passes for 112 yards and was sacked five times in a 27-3 home loss to Arizona on Oct. 18.

Houshmandzadeh had four catches for 34 yards and has grown frustrated over the situation. The pair spent extra time working together during the bye week.

"We'll find out when the games matter," Houshmandzadeh said. "It's easy to do at practice, when no one's on you."

The quarterback believes there's no easy explanation for his inability to get the ball more to his top target.

"Just trying to figure out what we're good at," Hasselbeck said. "One of those things is just to be automatic with some of the guys I throw the ball to and get some routes where we feel that confidence, that 'automatic' confidence. That breeds consistency. We're close some times, but we misfire. We have to fix that as quickly as we can."

After dealing with questions about Houshmandzadeh's complaints, Hasselbeck endured more bad news when he was forced to spend the weekend at the hospital because his 6-year-old daughter got hit by a dirt bike on a family excursion.

Things could get even worse Sunday with a motivated DeMarcus Ware chasing him around. The three-time Pro Bowl linebacker agreed Monday to a $78 million, six-year deal through the 2015 season that guarantees him $40 million.

"I feel like I work really hard and am really deserving of what they've given me," Ware said. "All this is behind me now. It's time to get to work. You know what it's time to bring home. I'm not going to say what it is, we're just going to show you, and I'm going to show you."

Seattle lost 34-9 at Dallas last Thanksgiving as Ware had three of the Cowboys' seven sacks of Hasselbeck.

"I think people have definitely counted us out," Hasselbeck said. "There's a lot of negativity around our team. I've heard people say, 'This season is over. We've got no chance.' That's ridiculous. That's absolutely ridiculous.

"This is an opportunity for us to pull together and prove people wrong."

Romo completed 22 of 34 passes for 331 yards and three touchdowns in last year's meeting, and he's starting to resemble that player with Austin in the lineup.

"I think that you've got a wiser and you've got a more experienced Tony Romo than of old, and I think you see he's still got some of that instinctive thing that he can make plays and make winning plays," owner Jerry Jones said.

Sources: Newman avoids punishment for tiff

Sources: Newman won't be punished for altercation with Campo

Questions about Williams continue to swirl

Redskins' LaRon Landry calls out Boys WR Roy Williams: 'He was scared.'

Cowboys brushing off Campo-Newman incident

Cowboys coach, player won't discuss sideline exchange

Cowboys' Phillips says Romo feeling a lot better

Quarterback spent most of Monday's media access period getting treatment

Walter Jones 'was able 2 get in football stance 2day'

That's the twitter shorthand from the mountain of a man that has been a fixture at the left edge of Seattle's offensive line.

Tyler Roehl suffers torn anterior-cruciate ligament

Tyler Roehl, an undrafted free agent fullback signed by Seattle in April suffered a torn knee ligament during a non-contact practice on Monday, according to reporter Jeff Kolpack of The Forum, in Fargo, S.D. Roehl confirmed that it was his left knee that was injured.

Seahawks work on short-yardage, goal-line situations at practice

That's the description offered up by Matt Hasselbeck via his Twitter account. Of course, he used cool acronyms: SY and GL practice today.

Hasselbeck looks healthy, learning new Seattle offense

Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck looks healthy after being limited to seven games last season.

Seahawks rookie out to prove he's just the right size

Working with the Seattle Seahawks defensive line group, Nick Reed looks like a boy among men.

Greg Ellis officially an ex-Cowboy

As expected, the Cowboys weren't able to find a team willing to trade for Greg Ellis, so they released him today.

Already interest in Greg Ellis

When news broke of the Cowboys' release of Greg Ellis earlier today, the phone of Ellis' agent, James D. Williams, started to ring from interested parties.

Money is no longer flowing for Dallas Cowboys

I don't mean GM broke. Or Michael Vick broke. Or even Tom Hicks broke. But it certainly appears as though Jerry is paying more attention to the bottom line when it comes to the Cowboys than he's ever done in the past.

Kitna knows his job with Dallas Cowboys is be ready if Romo isn't

By MAC ENGEL CARROLLTON - Jerry Jones was just kidding, but the sad part of what he said a few days before the 2009 NFL Draft was true.'Last year we had one quarterback who was hurt and another quarterback who was playing like he was hurt,' Jones said.The comment drew uncomfortable laughter, and Jones immediately recognized what he had just ...

Dallas Cowboys have plenty to prove in 2009

Jean-Jacques Taylor has been at the DMN for 16 years. He covered the Rangers and Cowboys before becoming a columnist.