For the first time in eight years, the Dallas Cowboys won their opening preseason game, defeating the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks by a final score of 17-7 at Lumen Field.
Not only did Dallas win, but they did so convincingly, scoring 17 unanswered points after allowing a touchdown on the game's opening drive.
As expected, the Cowboys rested most of their core starters. Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Quinnen Williams, George Pickens, Tyler Smith, and many others all got the night off, opening up valuable snaps for key depth pieces and bubble players making their final push for the 53-man roster.
The most important thing is that Dallas came out of the game pretty healthy. All in all, it was a positive evening in Seattle, but it had its share of peaks and valleys. With that in mind, here are our instant reactions to the victory.
Instant takeaways from the Dallas Cowboys' Week 1 preseason win
1. Caleb Downs' Cowboys debut was short-lived. You could feel the excitement when it was announced that Downs would start, but Dallas only wanted the No. 11 overall pick to get his feet wet. His night was over before the end of Seattle's opening drive.
2. The Cowboys took the same approach with Shavon Revel and P.J. Locke, who came out when Downs did. Revel was a half-step away from a pick-six on the game's opening play. Perhaps that was all Christian Parker needed to see from Revel, who's had a superb training camp.
3. Nate Thomas had a really rough go of it. He derailed Dallas' opening drive with a false start on 3rd-and-4, and he should've been called for another on the next drive. Losing the left tackle competition to a former first-round pick in Tyler Guyton is one thing, but the Cowboys may currently be wondering if they need to upgrade the position before the regular season.
4. Jonathan Mingo should have a spot on the 53-man roster when all is said and done. In the midst of a good camp, the 25-year-old came down with two difficult third-down catches in tight coverage. With the passing game struggling to find a rhythm, Mingo was a reliable outlet for Sam Howell. He should be the WR5 in this offense.
5. Unlike Mingo, Caelen Carson probably wishes he could restart the game. Before the first half ended, he was already flagged for three penalties. The first call was tacky, but no matter how you frame it, a DPI, a facemask, and a defensive holding in one half of football is brutal for a third-year player going up against backups.
6. How about Camden Brown?! In the second quarter, Brown made an incredible catch in the end zone with a Seahawks defensive back all over him for a 39-yard touchdown. He followed that up with a ridiculous one-handed grab in the end zone in the third quarter. He's making a case that Dallas shouldn't even risk losing him to waivers when rosters are due.
7. From one UDFA to another. Along with Brown, Michael Trigg sparked that scoring drive with two catches in traffic. The second catch was really impressive, as he showed strong hands on a pass that Sam Howell fired near the sideline. He finished with four catches for 30 yards. The only negative about Trigg is that he's wearing No. 46. Get the man a number fit for a tight end!
8. Both Sam Howell and Joe Milton had good nights. For the sake of the backup quarterback battle, though, Milton looked a little better. Milton's poise and touch were unrecognizable compared to last preseason. The offense had noticeably more rhythm with Milton under center. The Cowboys should be pleased with both players, but the QB2 job is Milton's to lose.
9. What was circled beforehand as the Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah game quickly turned into the Malik Davis show. Davis didn't see the field until the third quarter, and it only took a few carries to remind folks that he might be the second-best running back on the roster. He was shot out of a cannon, carrying 7 times for 39 yards to lead Dallas in rushing.
10. How's that for a debut from Christian Parker? The Cowboys gave up an opening drive TD, but were lights out for the remainder of the game, coming up with multiple red zone stops and, most importantly, allowing zero points on the scoreboard.
11. Special teams picked up right where it left off last season. Nick Sorensen's unit gave up a couple of big returns, including a 52-yard punt return. The Cowboys were called for illegal formation on the play, giving Seattle unnecessary extra yards. The return coverage really struggled for most of 2025. Hopefully, Saturday was not a sign of things to come.
12. Penalties. Penalties. Penalties. There was a lot to like about Dallas' performance, but there was way too much yellow laundry on the field for a preseason game. The infractions from the offensive line, in particular, were highly concerning. In total, the Cowboys were penalized 13 times for 103 yards. That's gotta get cleaned up.
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