When the NFL schedule was first released, Seahawks fans looked at the October 12 matchup between their team and the visiting Dallas Cowboys and mentally chalked one up in the win column.

And why not? The Cowboys trudged their way through an uninspiring 8-8 record in 2013, their third straight .500 campaign. They missed the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year. Offensively, they were the NFC's third-highest scoring team, but didn't play a lick of defense, allowing 432 points. Meanwhile, the Super Bowl champs have been virtually unbeatable at home, possessing arguably the best defense in the NFL. On paper, it looked like a complete and utter mismatch.

However, football is played on the gridiron, not on parchment. The Cowboys have reinvented themselves this season, bolting out of the gate 4-1 and showing an improved defense in the process. The Seahawks have started 3-1 themselves, displaying one of the league's most creative and dynamic offenses, along with their typical dominant defense.

Who's going to win? Vegas has Seattle pegged as a 9.5 point favorite, but again, there's that pesky not-played-on-paper thing. The following is a quick profile of each team.

Dallas Cowboys

Offense

The Cowboys score 27 points per game, sixth best in the league. They average 398.2 yards per game, the fifth highest total in the NFL as of this writing.

Dallas' offense is far more than just a jumble of numbers. Tailback DeMarco Murray has been virtually unstoppable, leading the league with 670 rushing yards (5.2 average per carry) and scoring five touchdowns. He's on a pace to set the league record for most carries in a season, a fact that has head coach Jason Garrett vowing to do something about it.

"I don't see any wear and tear in DeMarco," said Garrett. "But having said that, we want to make sure we create a rotation and we'll focus on doing that in the next few weeks."

Quarterback Tony Romo has had a strong start as well, averaging 252 yards per game through the air and posting a 98.5 passer rating, eighth best in the league. He throws primarily to Dez Bryant (32 receptions, 376 yards) and Terrance Williams (16, 250) along with tight end Jason Witten (19, 215).

Defense

Dallas' improved defense is the primary reason for the team's turnaround so far this year. Although just 21st in yards allowed (369.8 per game), they've successfully deployed a bend-but-don't-break approach, surrendering just 20.6 points per game.

The Cowboys are fairly successful in forcing turnovers, with 12 takeaways so far this year. That's up two slots from last season.

Cowboys Keys to the Game

Irresistible force, meet immovable object: somehow, the Cowboys will need to run against a stout Seattle defense that gives up just 62 yards per game on the ground. They will also have to overcome the frenzied atmosphere of a loud, raucous Seattle home crowd and avoid giving up turnovers to an opportunistic, ball-hawking defense.

Tony Romo should be able to sling the ball around against the Seahawks' 21st-ranked pass defense, but unless the Cowboys can control the pace and tempo with a ground game, they won't have much chance against the defending champs.

Seattle Seahawks

Offense

So far this season, the Seahawks have put up 27.5 points per game, one slot higher than the Cowboys. Although just 12th in yardage (368), Seattle is tops in the league in rushing, thanks to the triple threat of Marshawn Lynch, Percy Harvin and the legs of quarterback Russell Wilson.

Now in his third season, Wilson is emerging as a true NFL superstar. His aerial totals are diminished by the Seahawks' run-heavy offense, but his passer rating (112.9) is third-highest amongst quarterbacks with at least 100 pass attempts. His primary targets include Percy Harvin (19 catches, 133 yards), Doug Baldwin (14, 155) and Marshawn Lynch (13, 126).

Speaking of Lynch, he may not have the gaudy per-game rushing numbers DeMarco Murray has, but he's still sixth in the NFL in rushing and represents a formidable task for Dallas' front four to contain. If he were a cartoon character, he'd be the Tasmanian Devil.

Defense

Although the much-ballyhooed Seattle defense has given up high number of passing yards this year, it's understandable when the names of the quarterbacks they've faced include Aaron Rogers, Philip Rivers, and Peyton Manning. While pass-happy opponents have chipped away by largely throwing underneath the defense, the Seahawks have completely stuffed the run and rank fifth overall in total yards allowed at 317.8 per game.

Surprisingly, the Seahawks have only forced three turnovers this season, after leading the league last year. They've been close many times, but the bounces just haven't gone their way. That will have to change if Seattle hopes to approach the dominance they showed on that side of the ball in 2013.

Seahawks Keys to the Game

The game plan is fairly similar to that of Dallas, with a twist: control the clock and pick apart the defense with well-timed Wilson throws. The biggest difference is while the Cowboys have multiple threats to contain on the ground, the Seahawks should be able to key in on Murray. Tony Romo isn't exactly a statue, but that whooshing sound you hear is Russell Wilson running circles around him.

No analysis of Seattle's game plan at home would be complete without mentioning the '12th Man'. Even though the fans at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City recently took back the record for loudest crowd noise, it's still an incredibly intimidating environment at CenturyLink, one which has triggered the most false start penalties by opponents in the NFL since 2005.

Prediction

Seattle is nearly unbeatable at home (15-1 since 2012) and the Cowboys, though improved, have victories against the Tennessee Titans, St. Louis Rams and Houston Texans inflating their win totals. Look for the Seahawks to clean up the penalty problems that surfaced against the Washington Redskins and win this game by a double-digit margin.

Final score: Seattle 31, Dallas 20.

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About the author
Walter McLaughlin
I am a 50 year old freelance writer and commercial banker living in the Seattle area. I have suffered through decades of Seattle sports futility, up until the Seahawks' dominating Super Bowl 48 victory. I am a lifelong Kings fan, as well as both a Mariners and Dodgers fan.