National Football League

Seahawks return to Dallas - site of 2008 debacle

Published Oct. 29, 2009 2:39 p.m. ET

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Seattle has its own meaning for "Big D." Big disaster. Not only are the battered Seahawks going back on the road this weekend, where they have lost 10 of their last 12 games, they're returning to Dallas - site of their painful debacle last Thanksgiving Day. Bring it on, says Seattle coach Jim Mora. "Sometimes people look at you like you're a little bit out of whack when you say this, but if you're a competitor, OK, if you love to compete ... this is what you live for. It gets your blood boiling. It gets you focused. It gets you jacked up," Mora said. "We don't want it easy. Competitors don't." They definitely don't want a repeat of their last trip to Dallas. Dallas rolled up 447 yards on Seattle's defense en route to beating the Seahawks 34-9 on national television. Matt Hasselbeck was steamrolled while being sacked seven times then missed the rest of last season. Left tackle Walter Jones tried to play through searing pain in his left knee with the aid of painkillers, then had Dallas' DeMarcus Ware blow by him repeatedly. Jones hasn't played since, and may never again. "I have some really good and bad memories," of Dallas, Julius Jones said. The bad are the more recent. The former Cowboys running back was discarded two seasons ago when Dallas chose Marion Barber over him. Then he fumbled twice in his return 11 months ago. He was benched by then-coach Mike Holmgren, effectively for the rest of the season. This time, Hasselbeck will be playing with broken ribs that have sidelined him the last two practice days. In his last game, before the bye, Arizona sacked the three-time Pro Bowl passer five times while he completed just 34 percent of his throws. Defensive captain Lofa Tatupu will be out. He just saw a specialist in Alabama who will determine whether his torn pectoral muscle should put him on injured reserve. Marcus Trufant, a Pro Bowl cornerback in 2007, will be making his season debut after managing a disk issue in his back - though he likely will be limited to playing only in nickel defense alignments. And Ware will be charging at a fifth-string left tackle, Damion McIntosh. The former Chiefs starter will replace Kyle Williams, who replaced Brandon Frye, who replaced Sean Locklear, who had been filling in for Jones. Ware just received a new contract extension from the Cowboys fit for a king, with up to $40 million in guarantees. Signing the deal days before playing Seattle was fitting, since the Seahawks help make him richer. Ware had two sacks while speeding past Jones in that last meeting, his first two sacks in three career games against Jones. He humbled Jones so much, the six-time All-Pro left tackle said Wednesday he will never allow himself to play again in such a substandard physical condition. Seahawks offensive coordinator Greg Knapp said Dallas nose tackle Jay Ratliff probably made the Pro Bowl last year based on how often he was in Seattle's backfield while the rest of the league was watching that day. And the misery goes beyond 2008. The Seahawks have played at Dallas six times. The only two times they won were in 1986 and 2002, when the Cowboys were 7-9 and 5-11. Their losses in Dallas have included scores of 51-7 and 27-0. At least this time the game won't be at Texas Stadium in suburban Irving but inside the Cowboys' new palace in Arlington. But it's still not Seattle, and the kickoff is at 10 a.m. Pacific time. Four of the last five times the Seahawks have started at that hour, they have lost. "We've got to do something we haven't been necessarily great at: We have to go on the road and win some games," Hasselbeck said.

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