NFC WILD CARD PLAYOFF PREVIEW

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (10-6) AT DALLAS COWBOYS (10-6)

IN A NUTSHELL

Do you like ball control and defense? If so, this has been one tough NFL season for you. But this slugfest should be a day at the spa for you.

HOW THEY GOT HERE

The midseason Amari Cooper trade upgraded the Cowboys passing game from "hilarious" to "adequate" just as their young defense began coalescing into a playoff-caliber unit.

Things got weird Sunday when Jason Garrett left Dak Prescott in to endure four sacks and run himself ragged in a meaningless comeback win over the Giants, but Prescott survived apparently unscathed and the Cowboys now have "momentum," which is another word for being more tired than they really should be. 

The Seahawks played the tortoise to free-falling NFC contender hares like the Packers and Panthers in the second half of the season, beating them with a turnover-free offensive approach, a hustling young defense and a spirit of togetherness that was rarely seen when their defense was locked in a never-ending blood feud with their offense from 2015 to 2017.

KEY FOR THE SEAHAWKS

The Seahawks offensive line is much improved over last year's unit (five guys pulled off a New Year's Eve pub crawl bus would be an improvement over last year's unit), but that doesn't mean it's good. They allowed six sacks in a narrow win over the Cardinals on Sunday, 51 on the year.

The Seahawks must find a way to both slow down Tank Lawrence (10.5 sacks) and create running room for Chris Carson and their other backs against a defense that allows just 3.8 yards per carry.

KEY FOR THE COWBOYS

Speaking of sacks, the Cowboys allowed 56 of them this season due to injuries along the offensive line, Prescott's tendency to hold the ball too long and Garrett's innovation-free approach to game planning. Protecting Prescott means running the ball, and Ezekiel Elliott should be able to eat against a run defense ranked just 18th in the NFL entering Sunday by Football Outsiders.

PRIOR MEETING

The Seahawks beat the Cowboys 24-13 in a game that was never really close in Week 3. But Earl Thomas had two interceptions in that game, and Cooper was still in Oakland. Things are bound to be different with Cooper here and Thomas gone.

BOTTOM LINE

Both teams will strive to run the ball, stay ahead of the sticks and grind out a win. If the Seahawks can't make that work, they will fall back on the talents of Pete Carroll and Russell Wilson. If the Cowboys can't make it work, they must count on Garrett and Prescott to be creative and decisive. Advantage: Seahawks, by about a galaxy.