SEATTLE — Seattle started two second-half possessions inside the Dallas Cowboys‘ 30 on Saturday night. Both times, the Seattle Seahawks came away with nothing, and Dallas won 17-7 at Lumen Field.
The Seahawks did not score after their opening drive.
The Muffed Punt
Traeshon Holden muffed a punt with 8:21 left, and Seattle recovered at the Dallas 5. Three yards came on first down and 1 on second. Tyleik Harden was stopped for no gain on third-and-1. On fourth down, Isaiah Land sacked Jalen Milroe at the 15, a 14-yard loss.
Holden knew he had made a mistake and was disappointed. Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer had not talked to him yet.
“I don’t know,” Schottenheimer said. “I want to talk to him. I know he was disappointed. He knew he made a mistake. Traeshon wants to win. He’s competing. I think any time players step up, you can be affected by that. But Traeshon’s a pro, and he’ll bounce back.”
The defense went out on a sudden change with tired legs and a group made up mostly of young players.
“In general, a bend-don’t-break mentality is obviously what you’re thinking about when you’re that deep in the red zone,” Curtis Robinson said. “But it just kind of shows the character of the guys that were out on the field at that point in time and the things that we preach as a defense and the coaches have preached to us so far.
“In a lot of situations, a sudden change thing where they’re (inaudible), guys are dead tired,” Robinson added, “and it seems like it’s like, all right, they’re just going to walk in. To go down there and in four snaps pretty much move them backwards, it’s a good sign as far as the young guys having great character, but also just the philosophy of the defense and playing attack football.”
Dallas took over at its own 15 after the stop and never gave the ball back, picking up 5 first downs before Joe Milton III knelt on it.
The 52-Yard Return
Late in the third quarter, Rashad Rochelle returned a punt 52 yards to the Cowboys’ 27. Seattle reached the 6. On fourth down, Drew Lock threw to Velus Jones Jr., and Dallas stopped him 4 yards behind the line of scrimmage.
Between the two possessions, Seattle had first-and-goal territory twice and gained a net of nothing. The Seahawks made four red-zone trips on the night and scored once.
Dallas gave up hidden yards on penalties early, Schottenheimer said, and the defense buttoned down after that.
Earlier, Jonathan Mingo made a play stopping a punt return in the first half, which Schottenheimer called incredible.
Brandon Aubrey’s Only Attempt
Brandon Aubrey made a 29-yard field goal in the second quarter, the only one he tried. It ended a 16-play possession that covered 8:43 and started at the Dallas 16.
It was Aubrey’s first game action since Dallas signed him to a four-year, $28 million extension on April 20. The deal made him the highest-paid kicker in NFL history and the first at $7 million a year, with $20 million guaranteed.
Aubrey has made 112 of 127 career field goals, an 88.2% rate, and has been to the Pro Bowl in each of his three seasons. His six career field goals of 60 yards or more are the most in league history, and his 65-yarder against Cleveland in 2024 is the franchise record. He turned 31 in March.
Seattle’s Jason Myers missed from 45 yards before halftime, ending a 15-play drive.
Dallas finished with 13 penalties for 103 yards. The teams combined for 21 penalties and 174 yards.
Dallas returns to Oxnard, California, with open practices scheduled through Aug. 18. The Cowboys play at the Arizona Cardinals on Aug. 22, with kickoff set for 9 p.m. CT.
