The Dallas Cowboys (8-6) will host the Seattle Seahawk ( 8-6) Sunday afternoon ( 1:25 p.m. PT) in a must-win game for both teams. While a win for either team does not guarantee a playoff position, a loss knocks the loser out of playoff contention.
The Cowboys offense will be bolstered by the return of running back Ezekiel Elliott who is back after a six-game suspension in which the Cowboys went 3-3. The Seahawks activated DeShawn Shead after 11 months. Shead suffered a serious knee injury in Seattle’s playoff lost to Atlanta. The Seahawks are hoping a health K.J Wright and Bobby Wagner will be enough to stop the rested and fresh Elliot.
Here is what the Coaches had to say about Sunday’s game.
Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Jason Garrett
(On the general feeling with his team right now having gotten through the Ezekiel Elliott suspension and staying in the playoff race)
“The biggest thing we try to emphasize to our guys is just being focused on ourselves and what we need to do each day to prepare to play our best. That’s the mantra that we try to instill in our guys and really try to make sure that it’s on the forefront of their minds in everything that they do because there’s a lot of different things that happen over the course of a season.
Sometimes guys are available to you, sometimes they’re not, and the next guy has to go in there, but ultimately what we need to do is focus on the things that we can control each day and prepare to play our best. I think our guys understand that and we’ve done a good job of that, it hasn’t been perfect by any means, but guys continue to work hard and continue to fight. We’ve given ourselves a chance.”
(On how 7 losses will be tough to make the playoffs this year and if they’re looking at this game as an elimination game)
“Well again, I’ll go back to my previous answer; our focus is on practicing well on Wednesday, it really is. That’s really what we try to instill in our guys.”
(On the biggest difference he sees in Dak Prescott this year from year one to year two for him)
“I think he continues to grow as a player, and obviously anybody that has been around this league understands the challenges that keep coming at you, particularly at that position. He has an amazing way of handling himself; he has great poise, great composure, and he’s very confident in himself and in his teammates and what we’re doing.
He’s done a great job fighting through different adversity throughout the course of the year. I think he’s growing in every way as a player and I just think he continues to get better each and every day and each and every week. We’re really fortunate to have him as our quarterback.”
(On if they have to prepare for Russell Wilson any differently defensively than they would for other QBs)
“Well, he’s just a great player; he can throw it from the pocket and certainly like you said, he can go make plays with his feet both as a runner and just buying time to make plays down the field. He’s dynamic; so you try your best to duplicate some of that in practice, it’s hard to do, but you try your best to make sure that you’re preparing your team for the guys you are going against, but he’s not an easy guy to imitate.”
(On how the Seahawks had a different game Sunday than they are used to having especially with their defense and if he assumes that this game is going to be more like the old Seattle defense)
“Yeah. Obviously, they’re a really good football team in all three phases of their team, and they have a whole body of work that proves that, so we watch a lot of tape on these guys and we have great respect for them; the coaches, the players, and everything about their team.”
Head Coach Pete Carroll
(On the biggest difference he sees in Dak Prescott this year from year one to year two for him)
“I think he continues to grow as a player, and obviously anybody that has been around this league understands the challenges that keep coming at you, particularly at that position. He has an amazing way of handling himself; he has great poise, great composure, and he’s very confident in himself and in his teammates and what we’re doing.
He’s done a great job fighting through different adversity throughout the course of the year. I think he’s growing in every way as a player and I just think he continues to get better each and every day and each and every week. We’re really fortunate to have him as our quarterback.”
(On how he has seen the guys respond this week form last Sunday’s loss to the Rams)
“We’re rolling today, we’re out there going and rolling, so they have no choice. We have to bounce back and everyone seems tuned into it and focused on it, and realize that whatever happened last week, we still have to win this week. It’s really the same scenario; every one of these games are must-have games and championship opportunities. That’s who we’re facing it and they seem to realize that too.”
(On if Ezekiel Elliott’s running game and style anything he can compare or has seen that he has seen the last couple of weeks)
“No, they have a really strong commitment to the running game, and a good, diverse running game. They haven’t changed that much. I don’t see much change at all; it’s really a good variety of things that they believe in. They’re guards can get out, they can pull and get out on the edge, and they can zone-block. They do some stuff up inside that’s good too, and I don’t see any variance, really.”
