WHAT IT MEANS: Almost everything the Cowboys wanted to happen early in the day did as Atlanta lost to New Orleans and Cincinnati beat Detroit. All the Cowboys needed was a win and an Atlanta loss against Carolina next week to make the playoffs. Of course, they had to win and they played a sloppy game and didn’t. Too many turnovers and too many penalties doomed Dallas on Sunday.
TURNING POINT: Two plays after Dez Bryant made a sliding 33-yard grab to the Seattle 23, he dropped a pass that resulted in an interception. Bryant lined up in the slot and found a soft spot in Seattle’s defense. Dak Prescott’s pass was a tad behind Bryant, but he put both hands on the ball and it popped into the air where K.J. Wright made an easy interception. Seattle then drove 79 yards for a touchdown a a 21-12 lead.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Russell Wilson wasn’t spectacular, he passed for 93 yards on 14 completions, but he didn’t make any mistakes. He ran seven times for 31 yards, including a 14-yard run on their first touchdown drive. He remained patient throughout the game and let it come to him, and that’s why Seattle won.
KEY STAT: The Cowboys committed three turnovers - two interceptions and a fumble. Teams that do that entered Sunday with a 9-65 record.
WHAT'S NEXT: The playoff hopes ended with Sunday’s loss to Seattle. The Cowboys will play Philadelphia next week and coach Jason Garrett will talk about the importance of finishing the season strong and beating the Eagles, but the reality is the game means nothing in the standings. Garrett will have to be at his best to get the Cowboys to focus well enough to put in a good performance against Philadelphia.
