Seattle Seahawks' Leonard Williams Says Penalties 'Screwed Us' in Loss to Dallas Cowboys
The Seattle Seahawks ran into a horrifying combination of factors for a flawed team desperately in need of a win. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott played like the best quarterback in football, and the game was overrun by a storm of yellow penalty flags.
Week 13’s festivities kicked off with Seattle in Dallas for Thursday Night Football. Despite excellent play from quarterback Geno Smith, red zone stops, and otherwise promising flashes from the offense, the Cowboys won, 41-35.
The loss puts the Seahawks at 6-6 and the seventh seed in the NFC. With three 5-6 teams playing on Sunday, it’s easy to see Seattle slipping out of playoff position in the coming weeks.
Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll (left) looks on during the first half against the Dallas Cowboys.
© Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Seahawks defensive lineman Leonard Williams, a trade-deadline acquisition meant to boost Seattle into the NFC’s top tier, spoke after the loss.
“The way I assess it, I feel like we played great football,” Williams said. “It sucks to come up short, like I heard Geno say, ‘The most important thing is winning.” But overall I feel like the penalties really screwed us this game.”
Altogether, the penalties were a two-sided effort, with both teams combining for a season-high 257 yards worth of flags. While the yardage was surprisingly split—Seattle gave up 130 yards compared to Dallas’ 127—the impact of those penalties may not have been as “fair.”
Four of the Seahawks’ 10 penalties helped the Cowboys comfortably move the ball downfield on a third-quarter touchdown drive.
“I don’t care how good of football you’re playing, if you give up that many yards and penalties it’s going to be hard to climb out of,” Williams said. “I think we just need to clean up small details in that area and finish when we have the chance.”
The defense finished fairly well in the red zone when given the opportunity, forcing four field goals from Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey. He made each of them, keeping Dallas afloat and ultimately extending its final lead.
Simply put, giving up 41 points isn’t going to cut it. Although they won’t be playing the should-be MVP favorite in Week 14, the road ahead won’t get much easier. Seattle’s next two games will come against the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles, who have combined for fewer losses than Seattle has this season.
From the penalties to the play calling and everything in between, the Seahawks need to get things fixed before another season is lost to mediocrity.
