Cowboys vs. Seahawks 2019 Prediction: Russell Wilson Will Outplay Dak Prescott In Road Playoff Win

There might be no more intriguing matchup on Wild-Card Weekend than the one between the NFC’s No.4 and No.5 seeds. The Dallas Cowboys will host the Seattle Seahawks in arguably the first round’s most difficult game to predict.

The betting line is down to a single point, per OddsShark, making it the smallest point spread on the upcoming schedule. Both teams finished the regular season at 10-6 with six wins in seven games after Week 10. The Cowboys have the NFL’s leading rusher in Ezekiel Elliott, while the Seahawks totaled more rushing yards than any other team.

Dallas won the NFC East on the strength of the No.6 scoring defense. Seattle’s defense remained above average after losing several Pro Bowl players last offseason. The Seahawks averaged 0.2 more yards per play on offense than the Cowboys.

With so many similarities across the board, the play of the starting quarterbacks could ultimately decide Saturday night’s contest. That’s the one area in which one of the teams has a distinct advantage.

The edge, of course, goes to Russell Wilson and the Seahawks. The quarterback had the best regular season of his career, setting personal bests with a 110.9 passer rating, 35 touchdown passes and just seven interceptions. If it wasn’t for Patrick Mahomes’ 50-touchdown season, Wilson might get serious MVP consideration.

Dak Prescott isn’t anywhere near the MVP discussion. He was good enough in 2018, posting a 96.9 passer rating with 22 touchdown passes and eight picks. The quarterback did lead a few game-winning drives, including one against the New York Giants in the season finale.

Wilson has a penchant for making big plays and is a proven postseason performer. He’s been to two Super Bowls and won a championship. When the Seahawks reached the playoffs every season between 2012-2016, Seattle won at least one postseason game each year. Wilson has seven touchdown passes and one interception in the team’s first game of each playoff run.

Prescott was good in his only playoff game, throwing for 302 yards, three scores and an interception two years ago. Dallas lost at home to the Green Bay Packers 34-31 as the NFC’s top seed.

The Cowboys’ success is often predicated on Elliott. In the eight games that the running back played and failed to reach 100 yards, Dallas averaged 14.4 points. The Cowboys scored 36 points when Elliott rested in Week 17.

Seattle hasn’t been good against the run this season, allowing 4.9 yards per carry. Elliott ran for 127 yards when the Cowboys visited the Seahawks in Week 3, but Dallas lost 24-13 as Prescott was picked off twice and held to 168 yards passing.

The rematch will be under different circumstances. Amari Cooper is now Prescott’s No.1 option, and he caught 53 passes for 725 yards in nine games with the Cowboys. Dallas will be at home, where they went 7-1. Seattle suffered four losses on the road, going 0-2 against playoff teams.

But the Seahawks are more than capable of winning away from home. Wilson has two road playoff wins on his resume, matching Drew Brees and Philip Rivers.

The improvement that Cooper made to the Cowboys’ offense became overstated when Dallas seized control of the division. Dallas faced two top-10 scoring defenses with Cooper on the roster, and they scored 14 total points in those games.

Seattle finished the season ranked 11th in points allowed. In a game that won’t feature a ton of points, the Seahawks are more equipped to pull out a victory.

Prediction: Seattle over Dallas, 20-17