Cowboys to face Seahawks and rowdy crowd at CenturyLink Field

By Rainer Sabin / Reporter
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6:56 pm on September 10, 2012 | Permalink

IRVING – In the first 26 years of their existence, the Seattle Seahawks qualified for the playoffs only five times. They were a listless team that played in a drab domed stadium before temporarily relocating to a college facility.

Eventually, they settled into brand new digs, setting up shop at airy CenturyLink Field in 2002. Since then, the Seahawks’ fortunes have changed. They have made the playoffs six times in the previous 10 seasons.

That Seattle’s recent run of success began around the same time its 67,000-seat home opened may be coincidental. Then again, it may not be. Since 2002, only six NFL teams – the New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers and Green Bay Packers — have posted a better winning percentage at home than the Seahawks have.

For those who have been to CenturyLink Field, it’s easy to see why Seattle’s opponents have struggled to win there.

“This is a very difficult place to play,” Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. “It’s loud. It’s almost a college-type atmosphere.”

This week Garrett plans to pump up the volume at practice with simulated noise so that his team will be prepared to block out the din of the crowd. Dallas had seven pre-snap penalties in a 24-17 victory over the New York Giants and the Cowboys are looking to avoid similar mistakes in an environment that is hostile for the opposition.

“There are a lot of stadiums in the NFL that are loud,” Cowboys center Ryan Cook said. “Seattle happens to be one of them.”

But no place perhaps helps the team it houses quite like CenturyLink Field. It gives the Seahawks a true home-field advantage.