Bryant - Game Recaps

RB Julius Jones had a huge game in front of a national audience. Jones may not be a household name in the NFL, but he took major strides towards achieving that sort of notoriety in this game. He ran hard and low with great shoulder lean showing a nice burst through the line of srimmage.

QB Vinny Testaverde almost handed the game away with two interceptions in the fourth quarter. He was very close to throwing a third interception that would have ended the game, but CB Ken Lucas dropped the pass. Regardless, Testaverde made plays when he had to. His 34-yard touchdown to WR Keyshawn Johnson late in the fourth quarter revived the Cowboys hope in a dismal situation.

The Dallas pass defense is simply porous. After two early sacks, the defensive front didn't come close to hitting QB Matt Hasselbeck. Making matter worse the defensive backfield allowed receivers to run free and gain separation.

Seattle Seahawks

QB Matt Hasselbeck looked sharp and efficient on his way to a 414-yard passing performance and three touchdowns. Dallas stacked the line of scrimmage through the entire game daring Seattle to throw the ball.

The Seattle wide receiving corps shed their dropped pass reputation and made many tough receptions. WRs Darrell Jackson and Jerry Rice combined to pull in 17 balls out of a possible 21 targets. This target total includes a pass interference penalty and a ball tipped at the line of scrimmage. Both were also able to find the endzone.

RB Shaun Alexander had very little room to run for the majority of the game. The Cowboys kept extra defenders in the box to prevent Alexander from having a noticeable impact. More than half of Alexander's carries in the game went for 2 yards of less.

WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

Dallas Cowboys

QB: Vinny Testaverde (18-34-225 2 TD 2 INT passing, 1-0 rushing) Testaverde came as close to losing this game as might be possible. Seattle turned both his fourth quarter interceptions into touchdown drives. He also nearly threw a third interception on a terribly thrown ball over the middle of the field that was nearly picked off by CB Ken Lucas. The outstanding running of RB Julius Jones allowed Testaverde to utilize play action in the second and third quarters. Testaverde had plenty of time to stand in the pocket. The Seattle pass rush was invisible for most of the game. Testaverde wasn't rushed in any way on either of his two interceptions. They were simply poor choices. Eight of Testaverde's sixteen interceptions this season have come in the fourth quarter.

RB: Julius Jones (30-198 3 TD rushing, 3-11 receiving on 7 targets) Jones started the game with a 53-yard run off left tackle and sprinted up the sideline. He hit the hole very quickly and turned on the jets for the big gainer. Jones ran very well between the tackles. His best gains (particularly late in the game) came on draw plays up the gut. Jones displayed a very good burst when initially hitting the hole. Jones had a fourth touchdown called back due to a holding call at the line of scrimmage. On a negative note, Jones did not catch the ball well. His first two targets in the game were dropped, and he didn't make a play on some other balls that were possibly catchable.

Eddie George (DNP)

Richie Anderson (DNP - concussion)

Darian Barnes (0-0 rushing, 0-0 receiving on 2 targets) Barnes started for the injured Anderson at fullback. He did catch one of his targets, but there was a defensive penalty on the play that Dallas accepted.

WR: Keyshawn Johnson (6-116 TD receiving on 9 targets) Johnson made two big time receptions in the game. He pulled in a 39-yard pass down the right sideline over tight coverage barely keeping his feet in. His other was the 34-yard touchdown at the end of the game that pulled the Cowboys to within three points. He leaped high to pull the ball away over the top of the DB, but when he came down he only got one foot in bounds before one of his elbows touched out of bounds. The referee did not indicate that he was forced out of bounds. Because the play occurred in the last two minutes any replay request would have had to come from the booth. Regardless, it was a great play that kept the Cowboys alive. Johnson was also targeted in the endzone in the first quarter.

Quincy Morgan (2-19 receiving on 7 targets) Morgan had little impact on the game's outcome. He dropped his first target in the fourth quarter when a pass hit him in the chest. He had one of his targets intercepted that led to a Seattle touchdown.

Terrance Copper (2-18 TD receiving on 5 targets) Copper caught QB Vinny Testaverde's first touchdown in the second quarter. Copper saw the field extensively in the game as Dallas went with tons of three wide receiver sets. He had one of his sideline targets intercepted in the fourth quarter. It was a bad throw, but Copper didn't make any sort of effort to come back to the ball.

TE: Jason Witten (5-61 receiving on 6 targets) Dallas ran a rare tight end screen for Witten. He pulled in two passes in the redzone getting Dallas inside the ten-yard line. Each reception was followed up by a Cowboy touchdown. Witten recovered the onsides kick that allowed Dallas to march down the field and win the game.

K: Billy Cundiff (4-4 XP, 3-3 FG 39, 49, 47) Cundiff's second attempt from 49 yards doinked off the left upright and slanted forward and through the uprights.

Pass Defense: DE La'Roi Glover dropped QB Matt Hasselbeck twice in the first quarter. After these two shots, quarterback hits were rare to non-existent. Hasselbeck was able to stand in the pocket and deliver the ball with confidence. The only thing worse than the lack of a rush were the wide-open receivers running through the secondary. The defensive backs as a whole were not able to cover. Multiple times in the game they allowed a receiver to break free in blown coverage.

Rush Defense: Dallas stacked the line of scrimmage to shut down RB Shaun Alexander. They gave him nowhere to run and forced Seattle to go to the air. Safety Roy Williams was particularly strong in run support and made some big hits in the game, including one that forced a fumble by Alexander. However, in short yardage situations Dallas had difficulty keeping Seattle in check. Twice in the fourth quarter Alexander was able to convert on 4th and 1. Both plays were run off left tackle and resulted in touchdowns.

Seattle Seahawks

QB: Matt Hasselbeck (28-40-414 3 TD passing, 2 pt pass, 3-16 rushing) Hasselbeck started the game hitting on 16 of 18 passing attempts in the first half. One of his two incompletions was tipped at the line of scrimmage and RB Shaun Alexander dropped the other. Hasselbeck's touchdown pass to WR Jerry Rice in the first quarter could have easily been called offensive pass interference on Rice. His 2-yard touchdown dump to Jackson came on a quick slant off of play action. His 19-yard touchdown to WR Jerheme Urban was on a go route up the right sideline. Hasselbeck looked comfortable in the pocket throwing accurate darts all over the field. Hasselbeck did throw an interception early on, but it called back due to a defensive off sides. Hasselbeck realized he had a free throw to make and simply wound up and let it fly to try and let his receiver make a play on the ball. Hasselbeck also made a few plays with his legs when he had to scramble and leave the pocket.

RB: Shaun Alexander (21-83 2 TD rushing, 3-21 receiving on 6 targets) Alexander found it a very tough go early on. Seven of his ten first half carries when for 3 yards or less. Dallas decided to make a concerted effort to shut Alexander down and take their chances with Hasselbeck throwing the ball. The third quarter started out with more of the same getting five carries for 14 yards. Two of those five carries were for gains of 0 yards. Alexander fumbled his second carry in the third quarter that led to a Dallas score. Alexander's last two carries in the game went for touchdowns. Each was off the left side on pitches that allowed Alexander to choose his hole. Also, both plays came on 4th and 1. Alexander did not catch the ball well. He dropped two of his first three targets. However, Alexander was utilized more extensively in this game than he has been in several weeks. One of his targets came on 3rd and goal just before his touchdown run. The play was designed as play action. QB Matt Hasselbeck rolled out to his right. The play broke down and Hasselbeck had nowhere to go with the ball. Alexander did a nice job of getting through the line of scrimmage and continuing with his route to give Hasselbeck somewhere to go with his pass.

Maurice Morris (1-6 rushing, 0-0 receiving on 0 targets) Morris had a singular carry in the fourth quarter to give Alexander a breather.

Mack Strong (2-4 rushing, 0-0 receiving on 0 targets) Strong had two carries on short yardage situations. Each carry picked up a first down. Strong made a great block on RB Shaun Alexander's 32-yard touchdown run at the end of the game.

WR: Darrell Jackson (9-113 TD receiving on 12 targets, 2 pt reception) Jackson did a solid job of securing every reception. He didn't have anything close to a drop in the game. His touchdown came at the goal line off of play action. Jackson did a nice job of selling run and faking a block. He quickly slanted towards the goal post and caught the touchdown pass. Just before this touchdown Jackson made a great run after a catch. He made two defenders miss with jukes and scampered down the sideline for 35 yards. Jackson caught his three of his final targets in the game. The one non-reception drew a pass interference penalty. The two-point reception was a designed roll out to his side of the field. Jackson caught the ball running parallel to the line of scrimmage. Jackson made several tough grabs in the game. He took a few big hits from safety Roy Williams, but still made the plays.

Jerry Rice (8-145 TD receiving on 9 targets) Rice started the game pulling in a 27-yard touchdown reception. The pass was under thrown on the play and Rice had to work his way back to the ball fighting through the defensive back. It easily could have been called offensive pass interference. Rice followed this up with a 17-yard reception down the left sideline behind the cornerback and took a shot to the head from the safety. He bounced up and didn't seem bothered by the knock. Late in the game Rice caught two long passes deep down the seam for 33 and 28 yards. Each was an impressive grab in traffic.

Koren Robinson (DNP) Robinson is serving a 4 game suspension for violating the NFL drug policy.

Jerheme Urban (2-36 TD receiving on 2 targets) Urban made a nice 17-yard reception in the second quarter on a slant, but allowed CB Terrance Newsome to rip the ball out causing a fumble. Urban made up for this with a fourth quarter touchdown to get Seattle the lead late in the game. He easily beat the cornerback up the sideline.

Bobby Engram (2-11 receiving on 3 targets) Engram started the game in the slot. Seattle started without a tight end. He was targeted in the end zone in the third quarter. The play was not exactly designed for him. It was more of a broken play and QB Matt Hasselbeck forced the ball towards Engram.

TE: Itula Mili (2-30 receiving on 2 targets) Mili didn't technically "start" the game, but his was the first tight end to enter the game. Both his receptions were in the first half. Each was a nice catch followed by a solid hit. Mili left the game with injury and was replaced by Jerramy Stevens.

Jerramy Stevens (2-58 receiving on 3 targets) Stevens stepped in for the injured Mili and had two big catches. His 26-yard reception came on a deep seam route. His 32-yard catch in the fourth quarter came on a broken play when the defense left him alone down the left sideline. Stevens wasn't accounted for by the Cowboys and ran free for the big gain.

K: Josh Brown (4-4 XP, 1-1 FG 21) Brown missed out on an opportunity for a long field goal when Seattle opted to og for it on 4th and one for the Dallas 32-yard line.

Pass Defense: Seattle was unable to generate any pass rush on QB Vinny Testaverde in the first half. They didn't touch him even once. In the second half both DE Grant Wistrom and Chike Okeafor recorded sacks. DT Rashad Moore was also credited with a sack, but it was only because he chased Testaverde out of bounds for a 0-yard gain. Both starting safeties intercepted a pass that led to Seattle touchdowns in the fourth quarter. CB Ken Lucas just missed intercepting a Testaverde pass that would have iced the game. Both starting cornerbacks were beat by WR Keyshawn Johnson over the top. CB Marcus Trufant was beat down the sideline and CB Ken Lucas was beat on the long touchdown bomb in the back of the endzone.

Rush Defense: Seattle wasn't able to keep RB Julius Jones under control. Jones was able to break tackles and make defenders miss time and time again. Seattle terribly missed their top four linebackers forcing reserves to step into all the starting positions. Outside linebackers Isiah Kacyvenski and Solomon Bates had difficulty getting off their blocks and trying to make plays. Only inside linebacker Niko Koutouvides was able to meet Jones in the backfield or near the line of scrimmage. The bulk of the damage came up the center of the field on draws and dives.