The Seattle Seahawks entered Week 3 with two wins under their belt and an eagerness to test themselves against the Dallas Cowboys’ potent offense. An eventful 60 minutes later, the Seahawks had triumphed, 38-31, to stand alone atop the NFC West with a perfect 3-0 record. There was good, bad, and even ugliness to be found in just about every aspect of the game – here are just a few things that stood out . . .
THE GOOD
Ability to capitalize: The Seahawks offense in Week 3 was not as effective as it was in Weeks 1 and 2. Although Russell Wilson threw for five touchdowns, three of them to receiver Tyler Lockett, much of Seattle’s momentum was generated from Dallas penalties as opposed to stringing together precise throws or long runs. The Cowboys relinquished 59 yards on 10 flags, one of which negated a Wilson interception and another of which gave Seattle a second shot at a two-point conversion late in the fourth quarter. In future weeks, the Seahawks cannot rely on the opposing defense to play sloppily; however, Seattle definitively showed on Sunday that this team will find a way to create and take advantage of key opportunities to score.
Alton Robinson: Robinson, who was selected in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, bullied Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott throughout the entire game. The rookie defensive end was responsible for a late-game sack and two tackles for loss in his NFL debut and nearly had more were it not for Prescott’s ability to scamper when needed. The Seahawks will likely be giving Robinson more action in the coming weeks, especially with their noted issues in the pass rush.
THE BAD
Tre Flowers: Flowers, filling in for the injured Quinton Dunbar at cornerback, was only saved from the “ugly” category this week due to an early pass breakup and an extra-point block. The rest of his performance was less than stellar in just about every way: a dropped interception, two (declined) penalties, key missed tackles, and losing Cowboys receiver Michael Gallup on a 43-yard touchdown pass. The Seahawks’ issues in the secondary were only amplified by Flowers’ woes, as Prescott made them pay with 472 passing yards – 294 of which came on 13 throws of 10 or more yards.
THE UGLY
Metcalf’s gaffe: As the first quarter wound down with the score tied 9-9, Russell Wilson unleashed a superb 62-yard bomb to D.K. Metcalf, who trotted towards the end zone for a no-doubt touchdown. The problem – Cowboys rookie cornerback Trevon Diggs, who was not as far behind as Metcalf had thought. Just before the goal line, Diggs reached his arm out and punched the ball out of Metcalf’s arms, where it bounced through the back of the end zone for a Dallas touchback. Metcalf has been such a prolific pass-catcher for the team that it can be difficult to remember that he is only in his second year as a pro, and thus susceptible to the occasional mental lapse that plagues many young players. This could have been costly for the Seahawks – after all, they only won by seven points – but it is unlikely that Metcalf will make such an error again.
Injuries: Week 3 was no kinder than Week 2 to the Seahawks on the injury front, as a number of key players – headlined by star safety Jamal Adams and running back Chris Carson – had to leave the contest due to various afflictions. In all, six Seahawks missed part or all of the game following injury: Adams (groin), Carson (knee), guard Damien Lewis (ankle), guard Mike Iupati (knee), linebacker Jordyn Brooks (knee), and center Ethan Pocic (knee). Coach Pete Carroll said after the game that the severity of many of the injuries are unknown, although both Iupati and Pocic were able to return to the game.
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