This week’s Thursday Night Football matchup features the struggling Seahawks going south to play the Cowboys at their home field. In what’s a must-win for Seattle, they face an uphill battle.
Thursday Night Football – Seahawks @ Cowboys
Seattle Seahawks
Kenneth Walker III: An oblique injury will likely keep Walker III sidelined today. With how good the Cowboys’ pass defense is, backup Zach Charbonnet should have an integral role in today’s matchup. Expect Charbonnet to get anywhere from 15 to 18 carries tonight, with DeeJay Dallas racking up a few catches.
Phil Haynes: A toe injury will keep Seattle’s right guard out this week. Haynes has been either extremely good or extremely bad this year, with little in between. He’s played well enough that backup Anthony Bradford has yet to take a snap this year, but he will be starting tonight. This gives the advantage to the Cowboys’ defensive line, which should stuff the run at a higher rate than usual.
Dallas Cowboys
No notable injuries.
Analysis:
Seattle will have their hands full tonight on both sides of the ball. Dallas is coming together at the perfect time, both on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Dak Prescott is continuing to play like a top-five quarterback while the offense is revolving around their best player and elite receiver, CeeDee Lamb. Lamb should have a difficult matchup with Riq Woolen, likely shadowing him, but should still be able to put up numbers. With how poor Seattle’s defensive line has been stuffing the run recently, Tony Pollard should be able to have an above-average day while getting around 15 carries.
On the offensive side for Seattle, it may get ugly. They’ve been a run-first offense the last couple of weeks, but they’ll be missing their starter, Kenneth Walker III. Charbonnet can be a quality back, but he’s still unproven, and he’ll be going up against a top defense.
D.K. Metcalf will have a tough matchup against Stephon Gilmore, who’s still a top-10 cornerback in 2023. Lockett will have an even worse matchup going against DaRon Bland, who has had an unbelievable season. One of the most favorable matchups Seattle has tonight is With Jaxon Smith-Njigba facing slot corner Jourdan Lewis, who’s graded horrendously in coverage. Don’t be shocked if Smith-Njigba leads the team in receiving tonight. The other favorable matchup Seattle has is with their tight ends. Expect to see lots of short-yardage targets for tight ends Noah Fant and Will Dissly.