Dallas dominates: Cowboys beat Seahawks 7-17 in NFL preseason
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We had reached the two-minute warning, and everything pointed to the score remaining as it was; Dallas had been the better team in this matchup and was close to securing a victory in its preseason opener, a great match.
We were nearing the two-minute warning, and Dallas still held the lead, edging closer to a victory in this preseason game; Seattle had not managed to put any points on the board in that quarter, a great close.
Dallas was finally forced to punt, and Seattle looked to put together a strong offensive drive to narrow the gap; the Cowboys aimed to play solid defense and stop the opposing offense, a great match at that moment.
Scoring had been scarce during that stretch of the game; Dallas got the ball back but failed to move the chains—nearly turning it over—while Seattle made adjustments and looked solid on defense, a great quarter.
The third quarter came to an end, and we headed into the final quarter with the score standing at Dallas Cowboys 17, Seattle Seahawks 7; it had been a great game so far, and we would see how this thrilling matchup concluded.
Dallas was trying to move the chains and approach midfield through running plays; they had already made substitutions to get a look at other players vying for a spot on the first team, resulting in a slow pace as the quarter wound down.
We were approaching the home stretch of that third quarter, and Seattle was unable to move the chains; they had to punt, handing possession to Dallas—who held a commanding lead. We were in for an exciting finish.
Touchdown for Dallas; the Cowboys put together a great offensive drive to add another 7 points and extend their lead. We would see if Seattle could respond in that third quarter, where they had been outplayed.
With a 5-yard pass, Dallas had moved into Seattle territory and was looking to reach the red zone; it was an aggressive opening drive by the visitors, who aimed to extend their lead in that third quarter, a great match.
Dallas opened with running plays, looking to cross midfield and extend their lead; they were aiming to be aggressive at that stage of the game. Seattle was unable to stop the Cowboys' attack, which was proving solid—a great start.
The second quarter came to an end, and we headed into halftime with the score standing at Dallas Cowboys 10, Seattle Seahawks 7. It had been a low-scoring game so far; we would see what adjustments were made for the final two quarters of this preseason matchup.
We were approaching the two-minute warning, and Seattle continued to move closer to the end zone; additional players had now entered the game, looking to earn a spot on the first team for the regular season.
Seattle had reached midfield and was looking to get into the red zone with runs up the middle; it was a tight game, with the Dallas defense trying to sack the quarterback—the pace of the match was intense.
Dallas failed to reach the end zone and had to settle for three points; Seattle would now look to extend its lead, while the home defense had been solid, giving the Cowboys no room to operate, a great quarter.
Dallas had reached the red zone using quick passes and was looking to tie the game; Seattle had been unable to stop the visitors, who were making solid progress—there was a lot of intensity in that second quarter.
The first quarter ended with the score at Seattle Seahawks 7–0 Dallas Cowboys; we were witnessing a great game, and we would see how the teams made adjustments for the second quarter of this exciting matchup.
Dallas failed to move the chains on three attempts and quickly had to punt; Seattle had started strong on both offense and defense—we would see what happened in the closing stretch of the first quarter.
Touchdown for Seattle—the first 7 points were on the board following a great 10-yard pass that put the home team in the lead; Dallas then took the field for its first offensive drive, looking to tie the game.
Dallas's defensive errors continued; following a facemask penalty, Seattle was now at the 20-yard line, close to the end zone. It had been a great drive by the Seahawks—consuming a lot of clock—that could result in seven points.
A pass interference penalty put Seattle near the red zone; they had already crossed midfield and were looking to put their first points on the board by reaching the end zone—a costly error by the Dallas Cowboys' defense.
Seattle opened its offensive series with a run for no gain; Dallas was defending well early on. It was a very tight game so far, with few long-yardage plays, a great match at that moment at Lumen Field, a great quarter.
The first quarter between Seattle and Dallas was underway; the Seahawks had the opening possession, and we would see if they could put points on the board right away as they looked to move the chains and do some damage on their first drive.
This is how Seattle took the field for the start of the first quarter; the home team was introduced, looking to kick off a promising and exciting preseason with a win, a great match this day in preseason:
Back under these arches. 😤 pic.twitter.com/9L3FZiuZ0b
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) August 15, 2026
Everything was set for kickoff; players from both teams were ready and awaiting the signal for the coin toss on the field, followed by the opening kickoff to start the first quarter here at Lumen Field—the preseason champions were about to be introduced.
The players finished warming up and headed back to their locker rooms to receive final instructions from their coaches before returning to the field for the start of the first quarter of this NFL preseason game; the fans were eager for kickoff.
The Seattle and Dallas players were already taking the field and getting ready; kickoff for this preseason game was fast approaching. We would find out which players were inactive in just a few minutes—the NFL was back in action with these warm-up games.
There was a great turnout at Lumen Field; fans were still coming in, and the venue was already nearly half full. A near-capacity crowd was expected by kickoff. The players were minutes away from taking the field, while others were interacting with fans.
The Seattle and Dallas players were already at the stadium, preparing in their locker rooms to take the field for warm-ups in a few minutes and get ready for the start of the first quarter of this big preseason matchup.
Fans were gradually arriving at Lumen Field for this preseason match; there was a much larger contingent of Seattle supporters given their home-team status, but plenty of Dallas fans had made the trip as well. The players were about to arrive at the stadium and head to their locker rooms.
In just a few moments, we shared the initial details of the Seattle Seahawks vs. Dallas Cowboys game—Week 1 of the NFL preseason—in real time, along with the latest updates from Lumen Field. Follow every detail of the match right here on VAVEL.
In addition to the Seattle vs. Dallas game, that Saturday featured matchups between the Bills and Panthers, Chicago and Cleveland, the Giants and Vikings, the Saints and Jaguars, the Ravens and Eagles, and finally Kansas City against the Rams, rounding out the first week of the NFL preseason.
Seattle was expected to enter the game as the favorite, given that they had significantly strengthened their roster and were the reigning champions; they looked to put important points on the board right from their opening offensive series. A thrilling matchup awaited at the Seahawks' home stadium as the NFL returned for the preseason; here were the keys to this big football game.
Home to the Seattle team and one of the NFL's premier stadiums, the venue—which opened in 2002 and holds 68,000 spectators—hosted this matchup between both sides. A strong turnout was expected for the game; it is undoubtedly a magnificent stadium for a great football matchup in Week 1 of the preseason.
Neither team had any injured or suspended players, so they had full squads and their best players available for the following day if they chose; it remained to be seen whether they would field their stars or rest them to avoid potential injuries. A great American football game awaited us that Saturday.
History favored Seattle; the two teams had met 13 times, with Seattle winning 7 games and Dallas 6. Consequently, the home team entered the following day's preseason matchup as the favorite to win—though we would see if Dallas could pull off an upset and spoil the party for the champions.
For its part, Dallas looked to get its preseason off to a strong start; after a disappointing campaign last year, the team aimed to take a look at its draft picks. It remained to be seen whether they would field their starters or test out their rookies—this is how both teams headed into this major football matchup for Week 1 of the preseason.
Seattle, the reigning Super Bowl champion—having defeated New England 29–13—looked to get its preseason off to a strong start against Dallas. The goal was to kick things off on the right foot and get a look at the entire roster; this was the mindset the Seahawks brought to a matchup that promised to be one of the weekend's best.