Cowboys Lose To Seahawks

via Reuters

Russell Wilson threw two touchdown passes and Earl Thomas tallied two interceptions, leading the Seattle Seahawks to a 24-13 win against the Dallas Cowboys in their home opener Sunday at CenturyLink Field.

The Seahawks (1-2) improved their record in Seattle in the month of September to 14-0 under ninth-year head coach Pete Carroll.

After allowing 12 sacks in the first two games, Seattle surrendered only two sacks to the Cowboys (1-2) as Wilson completed 16 of 26 passes for 192 yards with no interceptions. Chris Carson carried 32 times for a career-high 102 yards and a touchdown.

Seattle sacked a struggling Dak Prescott five times. He was 19 of 34 for 168 yards with one TD and the two picks by Thomas. Prescott has now thrown for fewer than 200 yards in five straight games and nine of his last 11.

The first interception by Thomas was a sensational shoelace snag after rookie Michael Gallup lost control of the ball in the first quarter. The second pick, on a deflection, came with a little over three minutes left in the game and quashed any Cowboys comeback hopes.

NFL Network reported earlier Sunday that the Cowboys are still trying to trade for Thomas, who was flagged for taunting after bowing to the Dallas sideline after his second takeaway. The six-time Pro Bowl selection is a Texas native and played at the University of Texas, and he told Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett last year “if you get the chance, come get me.” Thomas, 29, wants a new contract and is reportedly facing team fines for detrimental conduct after missing practices last week.

Ratcheting up the need for safety help, the Cowboys lost starter Jeff Heath to an apparent left ankle injury in the second quarter. A few plays later, Tyler Lockett got behind the secondary on the right sideline and high-stepped it home with a 52-yard touchdown from Wilson to make it 14-3.

Sebastian Janikowski’s 47-yard field goal — aided by Randy Gregory’s 15-yard penalty — pushed Seattle’s lead to 17-3 at halftime.

Brett Maher’s second field goal, from 35 yards out, trimmed the Dallas deficit to 17-6 with 3:43 left in the third quarter.

The Seahawks responded with a 10-play, 72-yard drive, capped by a 5-yard touchdown run up the middle by Carson. The drive consumed nearly six minutes and put Seattle up 24-6 with 12:54 left.

On a Sunday when the rest of the NFC East went 3-0, the Cowboys scored their only touchdown with 7:11 left. Prescott flipped the ball to wide receiver Tavon Austin in the backfield and he took it in from 3 yards out to make it 24-13.

Ezekiel Elliott rushed for a season-high 127 yards for Dallas, but also made a couple of costly blunders. He stepped out of bounds before catching what would have been a touchdown in the second quarter, then coughed up a fumble at the end of a long run in the fourth.

After gaining just 49 yards on its first three possessions, Seattle struck first with a 64-yard drive early in the second quarter. Wilson converted a third-and-10 with a 19-yard pass to Carson, then went no-huddle on the next play and caught the Dallas defense off guard. Wilson found Jaron Brown wide open in the middle of the end zone for a 16-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

The Cowboys briefly appeared to tie it up on the ensuing drive as Elliott got open down the right sideline and hauled in a 31-yard touchdown from Prescott. But Elliott had stepped out of bounds before the illegal catch, and Dallas settled for a career-long 50-yard field goal by Maher.

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