Seahawks get injury scare, beat Romo-less Cowboys 13-12
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) Beating the Dallas Cowboys wasn't the first thing on Russell Wilson's mind when he went to the locker room at halftime Sunday.
Seattle's star quarterback had just watched one of his receivers, Ricardo Lockette, crumble to the ground and lay motionless for several minutes after a vicious block on a punt return.
And even though Lockette flashed a thumbs-up from a stretcher as he was driven off the field on a cart - and Wilson directed a late drive to a field goal in a 13-12 win after finding out Lockette would probably be OK - it was hard to forget a scary and tense moment for both teams.
''I don't think I've ever been part of something that scary,'' Wilson said. ''He wasn't moving for a while, then he started moving his eyes and moving his fingers. And just starting talking to us, saying `Do it for me, Russ.'''
Wilson did, converting three third downs on a decisive 17-play drive that started at Seattle's 15 midway through the fourth quarter and sent the Cowboys (2-5) to their fifth straight loss without Tony Romo in Dez Bryant's return from a five-game absence with a broken right foot.
A 10-yard scramble on third-and-7 when Wilson beat safety Barry Church to the sideline and dived past the first-down marker helped the Seahawks burn an extra minute before Steven Hauschka's 24-yard field goal with 1:06 remaining.
Seattle (4-4) improved to an NFL-best 21-6 in games heading into the bye in its second straight win. The Seahawks will see NFC West-leading Arizona in two weeks.
''It just feels good to finally finish,'' said Seattle linebacker Bruce Irvin, who had a key sack of backup Matt Cassel on the Cowboys' final possession.
Lockette was reported to have a concussion after he was flattened on a block by Jeff Heath, and several Seattle players appeared upset with the Dallas safety.
The ensuing discussion included the sometimes volatile Bryant, who was extremely upset in the locker room over a video posted to social media during the game by an outside source that appeared to show him using an expletive toward Lockette after the collision.
''I won't ever, ever, ever, ever wish bad on a player that's getting knocked down,'' said Bryant, who had two catches for 15 yards. ''Not once I said, `Hey, that's what you get.' I got on one knee and prayed for that man. ... I mean, don't put clips together and do that.''
A few minutes later, after a profanity-laced rant directed at media near him that could be heard on the other side of the locker room, Bryant had to be calmed by team personnel.
''I'm too busy trying to break it up, trying to get our players back,'' Bryant said. ''I'm telling Richard (Sherman) and Earl (Thomas), `Hey, y'all get your players back.' I was more talking to the officials than anybody.''
Things to consider after the Seahawks answered a two-game losing streak with a two-game winning streak for the second time this season:
NO OFFENSE: Dallas had to settle for the last of Dan Bailey's four field goals and a 12-10 lead after defensive end Greg Hardy put the Cowboys at the Seattle 16 by tipping a pass from Wilson and intercepting it - the first takeaway in five games for Dallas.
After David Irving blocked Hauschka's potential go-ahead field goal, the Cowboys couldn't get a first down on three runs by Darren McFadden, who had 64 yards on 20 carries. Seattle's winning drive followed.
Cassel had just 97 yards passing, while the Cowboys had 220 total yards, their fewest since 193 at New Orleans on Nov. 10, 2013. And Romo is out at least two more games with a broken left collarbone.
ROLE REVERSAL: The final drive helped Wilson finish with 32 yards rushing when he came into the game as the NFL leader among quarterbacks. But he still was outgained by Cassel, who had a career-best 24-yard run among his 43 yards on the ground.
EAST IS LEAST: The Cowboys, defending NFC East champions, remained last in the division, but didn't lose ground on the leading New York Giants (4-4), who lost to New Orleans. All four teams have at least four losses. ''We are certainly getting a lot of help throughout the rest of the division,'' owner Jerry Jones said.
LATEST ON LOCKETTE: The fifth-year player was held overnight at a Dallas-area hospital, but mostly as a precaution. ''We're grateful he's been able to bounce back from that, and he's pretty positive right now,'' coach Pete Carroll said.
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