The Seattle Seahawks are exactly who the Dallas Cowboys want to be: Super Bowl champions with a young core and head coach, which could lead the organization and fan base to believe that they'll end up back on the NFL mountaintop in the not-too-distant future, if not right away.
But before the Cowboys can even be in this conversation, they'll have to fend through a tough slate of opponents during the 2026 NFL season and show that their offseason improvements actually came to fruition on the field and not just on paper.
No better test exists for that than facing off against the Seahawks in primetime in Week 13. To gain a better understanding of just how tough a battle this will be for Dallas, The Landry Hat spoke to Lee Vowell, a Seahawks expert from 12th Man Rising, FanSided's dedicated Seahawks site.
Dallas Cowboys face tough battle against defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks
Q: DeMarcus Lawrence left a bad taste in Cowboys fans' mouths with his comments about leaving Dallas and winning a Super Bowl with the Seahawks. Could we see a similar story this year with Dante Fowler Jr.? Is Seattle confident it'll be back playing February football in 2026?
A: I think the difference between Lawrence (who was, of course, correct in his comments and got his wish of a Super Bowl victory) and Fowler is that Lawrence was a career-long Cowboy, and Fowler didn't have the same relationship with his former team that Lawrence did.
That said, the team clearly hopes to make the playoffs again. The problem is how great the NFC West is. Any slippage by a team can mean that the team doesn't make the postseason. As for Fowler, he's an interesting signing. Head coach Mike Macdonald likes his edge players to be versatile and three-down players. Fowler is more of a pure pass-rusher, so it will be interesting to see how the team uses him.
Q: How big a loss is the departure of Klint Kubiak, and what is the confidence level in Brian Fleury as his replacement?
A: The confidence level remains the same between Kubiak and Fleury, as both were and will be expected to lead an efficient offense that had a good mix of run and pass. Kubiak will be missed simply because he helped lead the team to a title and used what Seattle had in the best way, while also taking a different approach to each game.
Brian Fleury, however, is from the same coaching tree as Kubiak, so the system shouldn't change much. The new OC has also worked with Sam Darnold before when both were with the San Francisco 49ers. That will help smooth the transition from Kubiak to Fleury. The biggest concern is that Fleury has never called plays before, so he might need a few games to get his bearings.
Q: Seattle returned a lot of talent from last year's team, but they also lost some key pieces, mainly Kenneth Walker III. Do Seahawks fans feel like the team has done enough to mitigate those losses?
A: Each player the Seahawks lost had different circumstances. Edge rusher Boye Mafe was good in Mike Macdonald's system, but Seattle was never going to give him $20 million a season as the Cincinnati Bengals did. The team had enough depth to absorb his loss, and also signed Dante Fowler.
Cornerback Riq Woolen was already in the process of seeing fewer snaps at cornerback, while Josh Jobe was getting more. Plus, Devon Witherspoon and Nick Emmanwori can play outside corner at times. The other secondary player that was lost, safety Coby Bryant, already had a built-in replacement in the person of Ty Okada. The team also drafted Bud Clark in the second round, so safety should be set.
As for the loss of Walker, he was only truly productive in two of his four seasons with the Seahawks. First-round selection Jadarian Price should be a fine replacement, but Seattle likes to go with a two-back scheme, and the player who should be Price's partner, just as he was for Walker, Zach Charbonnet, will be out until December after tearing his ACL in the playoffs. The question isn't how Seattle will replace Walker, but whether George Holani and free agent signee Emanuel Wilson can pick up the slack left by Charbonnet being out.
Q: Devon Witherspoon is an unbelievable cover corner. But does Seattle have a second player they feel comfortable matching up with the Cowboys' dynamic WR duo of George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb?
A: What makes Mike Macdonald so special is that his scheme is never straight-up one-on-one. He will keep an offense guessing in terms of how the defense is going to align from play to play. Witherspoon is great in coverage, but he's so much more than that. He's terrific against the run and elite when asked to blitz, which is rare because Macdonald doesn't blitz much.
In other words, Pickens and Lamb won't go against Witherspoon, who is more of a slot corner anyway, and Josh Jobe, but against the overall secondary. Nick Emmanwori can line up in the slot, at outside cornerback, as an edge rusher, and at safety. Rookie Bud Clark can play either cornerback or safety. The trick is that the Cowboys won't know who is lining up where, and that half-second of confusion is what makes Seattle's defense so good (besides the elite talent and coaching).
Q: What was the biggest or most impactful move that the Seahawks made this offseason?
A: The Seattle Seahawks didn't attempt to make a huge splash in free agency. There was enough talent on the roster, even with the free agents the team lost, to be good. Instead, Seattle is loading up for 2027 when the team will be flush with cash again and have a projected 12 draft picks.
Still, the biggest change will be Klint Kubiak leaving to go to the Raiders and replacing him with Brian Fleury. Fleury has loads of NFL experience and is impressively intelligent, but how quickly he can transition to calling plays for the first time will be key.
Q: What is the biggest weakness on this Seattle roster? Does Dallas have the answer, you think, to exploit that weakness and tilt the balance in this game?
A: On paper, Seattle doesn't really have any massive weaknesses. Across all three phases of the game, they are capable of beating an opponent. That said, center and right guard could be a combination that a great interior pass rush can exploit. Getting interior pressure on any quarterback is a great thing, and one of the few ways of defeating Sam Darnold and Seattle.
The Dallas Cowboys will travel to Lumen Field to take on the Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football in Week 13. Kickoff is set for 7:15 p.m. CT.
Add us as a preferred source on Google