Seahawks Cowboys Retrospective

The Leon Lett game will always be remembered as the game with the greatest or one of the greatest SNAFUs of all time.  Of course, there is always the Giants fumbling a run trying to run out the clock when all they had to do was kneel down, and watching as Herm Edwards ran it in for an Eagles touchdown.  But since the leon Lett SNAFU happened on Thanksgiving Day I thought it appropriate to think back on a Seahawks, Cowboys encounter in 1986.

In 1986, the Seahawks got off to a terrible start and no one thought much of them.  In fact, coming into Texas Stadium on that Thanksgiving Day, they were 5-6.  Who knew they would become the greatest 10-6 team of all time to miss out on the playoffs.  I honestly believe had the Seahawks managed to scrape into the playoffs that year, they would have won it all.  But at 5-6, who could have known this.

Meanwhile the Cowboys got off to a 6-2 start and I remember them beating up on the Cardinals in week 8.  they looked like a lock for the playoffs.  Then, they lost their next two games.  At 6-4 they stumbled out of San Diego with a one point win.  San Diego were not that good that year.  So everyone thought they would “get better” on Thanksgiving.  The Seahawks were seen as merely a training drill team for Dallas, so they could get back on track.  I expected this as well.

Seattle came in and basically slaughtered the Cowboys.  The final was 27-14, but it was all over at halftime with the Seahawks cruising in the second half.  I was in shock.  Seattle looked like the 7-4 team. 

Of course, every Cowboys fan knows what happened afterward.  They went into freefall losing the remainder of their games and finished 7-9.  This was surprising after a promising year in 1985 in which they unexpectedly won their division.  Meanwhile the Seahawks ran the table and only missed out on tie breakers.  As I said, they were the best 10-6 team of all time who missed out on the postseason.

I sincerely hope history does not repeat itself this time around.  I do not think Seattle has any chance of running the table this time and the Cowboys should win easily.  But that is what I thought 22 years earlier.  I hope the Cowboys do not underestimate the Seahawks.  Perhaps they should be reminded of that game so long ago.