SEATTLE
Football is (kind of) back!
The Dallas Cowboys kicked off their three-game preseason slate with a trip to Lumen Field to take on the Seattle Seahawks in a game that saw Dallas sit 25 players by choice and four more by way of injury. As a result, depth chart battles saw some development, and rookie debuts were stamped.
In a 17-7 win in the home of the defending Super Bowl champions, Dallas walked away with a lot of positives on both sides of the ball.
Here are six takeaways from the performance:
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Camden Brown reacts during the second quarter of a preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday at Lumen Field in Seattle. Jack Compton Getty Images Camden Brown, welcome to your moment
It seems as though every year there is a wide receiver in training camp/preseason low on the depth chart who makes a few highlight grabs in Oxnard, a touchdown grab or two in the preseason, but is left off the roster because of numbers or lack of special teams experience.
However, we may have found an anomaly in 2026.
Undrafted rookie Camden Brown out of Georgia Southern has impressed in the first few weeks of camp to the point where he earned a handful of first- and second-team reps in practice last week. Athletic touchdown grabs, strong hands and reliable special teams play has seen him creep up the depth chart in camp, but Saturday night’s performance in Seattle has him in a firm position to earn a roster spot.
A heave from Sam Howell into the end zone from 39 yards out late in the first half found Brown’s hands for his first score, with a defensive back draped over him, while Joe Milton found him on the opening drive in the second half on an end zone fade route that he brought down with one hand.
On the night, Brown finished with three receptions for 62 yards and the two scores while cementing his place atop the conversation for the last wide receiver roster spot.
“The game is not too big for him,” Brian Schottenheimer said postgame. “He does that every day in practice. We see it all the time. I thought [the first touchdown] was a good throw by Sam, tough coverage. And then the throw from Joe, the fade, one-handed catch. He’s been doing that the whole time.”
Dallas Cowboys safety Caleb Downs (left) covers Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jake Bobo during the first half of a preseason game Saturday at Lumen Field in Seattle. Steven Bisig Imagn Images Christian Parker earns A+ in preseason debut
Yes, it’s preseason, but how about that debut for defensive coordinator Christian Parker’s unit?
After giving up an 80-yard opening drive touchdown, Parker’s group held Seattle scoreless the rest of the way — despite three red zone trips by the Seahawks — and allowed just 156 yards.
The performance was stamped with a stop on a drive that began on the Dallas 5-yard line after a muffed punt in the fourth quarter. The Cowboys stuffed three rushing attempts before a fourth down sack from Isaiah Land. After the stop, the entire visiting sideline erupted with celebration.
“I thought they were terrific,” Schottenheimer said. “We were sloppy early on, but they buttoned down. I thought the pass rush was really good. I thought we let Milroe get out a few times, but any time you can get three-and-outs and red zone stops, that’s what you want.”
It might be just the preseason, but it was a moment and performance that should have the defense feeling good about the direction it’s heading this season, as it attempts to wipe away what the last couple of years have looked like on that side of the ball.
There might be an issue up front
It wasn’t all pretty for the Cowboys on Saturday night, as the depth of the offensive line continued to cause concern.
In addition to five penalties from the group, the protection unit suffered in both the pass and run games — specifically in the first half. Now, in the second half, the unit improved, and there were some bright spots. Ajani Cornelius played well at right guard, Trevor Keegan had good moments at left guard. Overall, though, the protection up front left a lot to be desired, much like how it’s been for the second- and third-team units during camp.
The Cowboys have one of the best starting fives in the NFL on the offensive line and a capable first rotational body in T.J. Bass. After that, they may need to do some scavenging for reliable depth in the coming weeks.
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Sam Howell passes during the first half of a preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday at Lumen Field in Seattle. Steven Bisig Imagn Images QB2 battle starts off on high note
One of the more intriguing battles in training camp added another layer of intensity on Saturday night, as Sam Howell and Joe Milton III each performed well with their given opportunities.
Howell drew the start and finished the first half 8-of-12 passing for 94 yards and one touchdown, while Milton played the second half and finished 12-of-15 passing for 107 yards and one touchdown. Each displayed poise in a game where even one mistake could’ve been the difference between the two signal-callers.
“I thought both guys functioned outstanding,” Schottenheimer said. “They were tasked with going out and playing against heavy pressure. They brought a bunch of things against us, so they were taking some shots. But they hung in there and made the throws that they had to make.”
Each have had their ups and downs in camp, but consider the first big test a success for each quarterback with a lot of camp and preseason to go to determine who will win the battle.
Consider the left tackle battle finished
A very telling indicator of where the left tackle “battle” stands arrived pregame in the form of Tyler Guyton getting the night off. After earning praise from Brian Schottenheimer and Jerry Jones over the last week, Guyton earned the right to watch from the sideline while Nate Thomas attempted to close the gap.
That didn’t happen, as Thomas struggled at left tackle in both pass protection and in the run game. For a player who had a shot at unseating Guyton at the start of camp, Thomas has gone the opposite direction to the point where it’s unsure if he can even be trusted as the backup tackle heading into the season.
Call it a great night for Guyton, though, who continued his rise without having to do anything.
Dallas Cowboys running back Phil Mafah (37) carries the ball after a catch during the first half of a preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday at Lumen Field in Seattle. Steven Bisig Imagn Images Not much to draw from RB2 competition
There was a clear intention from the start of the game to get Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah as many touches as possible. But whether you want to blame it on the poor offensive line play or the backs themselves, the production was not there Saturday night. Blue finished with 19 yards on eight carries, while Mafah finished with nine yards on four carries before exiting with a chest injury.
“You got to get what’s blocked,” Schottenheimer said. “I thought all of those guys ran hard.”
Later on, Malik Davis entered the game and provided the only consistency seen all night in the run game, finishing with 39 yards on seven carries. And if you know anything about how he carved out a role offensively last season, that should be a concern for everyone else in the room.
A lot of preseason remains, but the questions are still as aplenty now as they were when camp first began.
Game schedule dates, times, locations Aug. 3 San Francisco 5, Rangers 1 Aug. 4 Rangers 5, San Francisco 4 Aug. 5 Rangers 6, San Francisco 0 Aug. 7 Rangers 2, Baltimore 1 Aug. 8 Rangers 5, Baltimore 1 Aug. 9 Baltimore 10, Rangers 5 Aug. 10 at L.A. Angels, 8:38 p.m., RSN Aug. 11 at L.A. Angels, 8:38 p.m., RSN Aug. 12 at L.A. Angels, 9:10 p.m., ESPN Aug. 13 at L.A. Angels, 9:07 p.m., RSN Aug. 14 at Athletics, 8:40 p.m., CW Aug. 15 at Athletics, 8:40 p.m., RSN Aug. 16 at Athletics, 3:05 p.m., RSN July 31 Washington 81, Wings 75 Aug. 2 Wings 83, Connecticut 63 Aug. 5 Washington 96, Wings 92 Aug. 7 Golden State 94, Wings 76 Aug. 9 Minnesota 103, Wings 90 Aug. 12 vs. Toronto, 7 p.m., KFAA, USA Aug. 14 at Indiana, 6:30 p.m., Ion Aug. 17 at Golden State, 9 p.m., KFAA, NBCSN, Peacock Aug. 20 vs. Indiana (at American Airlines Center), 7 p.m., ABC, KFAA, Amazon Prime Aug. 23 vs. Seattle, 3 p.m., KFAA, NBATV Preseason Aug. 15 at Seattle, 7 p.m., CBS, NFL Network Aug. 22 at Arizona, 9 p.m., CBS, NFL Network Aug. 28 vs. New Orleans, 7 p.m., CBS Regular season Sept. 13 at N.Y. Giants, 7:20 p.m., NBC Sept. 20 vs. Washington, 3:25 p.m., Fox Sept. 27 vs. Baltimore (at Rio de Janeiro), 3:25 p.m., CBS Oct. 4 at Houston, 12 p.m., Fox Oct. 8 vs. Tampa Bay, 7:15 p.m., Amazon Prime Video Oct. 18 at Green Bay, 7:20 p.m., NBC Oct. 26 at Philadelphia, 7:15 p.m., ESPN, ABC Nov. 1 vs. Arizona, 12 p.m., Fox Nov. 8 at Indianapolis, 12 p.m., Fox Nov. 15 vs. San Francisco, 3:25 p.m., Fox Nov. 22 vs. Tennessee, 12 p.m., Fox Nov. 26 vs. Philadelphia, 3:30 p.m., Fox Dec. 7 at Seattle, 7:15 p.m., ESPN, ABC Dec. 20 at L.A. Rams, 3:25 p.m., CBS Dec. 27 vs. Jacksonville, 7:20 p.m., NBC Jan. 3 vs. N.Y. Giants, 12 p.m., Fox Jan. 9 or 10 at Washington, TBA Aug. 29 vs. North Carolina (at Dublin), 11 a.m., ESPN Sept. 12 vs. Grambling State, 7 p.m., ESPN+ Sept. 19 vs. Arkansas State, 7 p.m., ESPNU Sept. 26 at Central Florida, TBA Oct. 3 vs. BYU, TBA Oct. 17 at Baylor, TBA Oct. 24 vs. West Virginia, TBA Oct. 31 vs. Kansas, TBA Nov. 6 at Arizona, 9:15 p.m., ESPN Nov. 14 vs. Kansas State, TBA Nov. 21 vs. Utah, TBA Nov. 26 at Texas Tech, 7 p.m., ESPN Sept. 5 at Indiana, 11 a.m., Fox Sept. 12 vs. UNLV, 2:45 p.m., ESPNU Sept. 19 at Texas State, 11 a.m., USA Sept. 26 vs. Houston Christian, 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ Oct. 1 at Tulsa, 8 p.m., ESPN Oct. 10 vs. Charlotte, TBA Oct. 24 at Navy, 2:30 p.m. CBSSN Oct. 29 vs. Florida Atlantic, 6:30 p.m., ESPN or ESPN2 Nov. 7 vs. Rice, TBA Nov. 14 at UTSA, TBA Nov. 21 at Tulane, TBA Nov. 28 vs. UAB, TBA All home games at Crowley ISD Multi-Purpose Stadium Aug. 27 vs. Central Oklahoma, 6:30 p.m. Sept. 5 at McNeese State, 6 p.m. Sept. 12 vs. Texas College, 6 p.m. Sept. 26 vs. Nelson, 6 p.m. Oct. 3 at Arkansas Baptist, 2 p.m. Oct. 10 at Louisiana Christian, 2 p.m. Oct. 17 vs. Mary Hardin-Baylor, 1 p.m. Oct. 24 at Langston, 2 p.m. Oct. 31 vs. Oklahoma Panhandle State, 2 p.m. Nov. 7 at Ottawa (Arizona), 6 p.m. Nov. 14 at Wayland Baptist, 2 p.m. July 22 FC Dallas 2, Portland 2 July 25 San Diego 1, FC Dallas 0 Aug. 1 FC Dallas 0, LA Galaxy 0 Aug. 5 FC Dallas 2, Queretaro 0 (Leagues Cup) Aug. 8 FC Dallas 1, Chivas de Guadalajara 0 (Leagues Cup) Aug. 12 at Toluca (Mexico), 9 p.m., Apple TV (Leagues Cup) Aug. 16 at Austin, 7:30 p.m., Apple TV Aug. 19 at Salt Lake, 8:30 p.m., Apple TV Aug. 22 at Vancouver, 8:30 p.m., Apple TV Aug. 30 at St. Louis, 6 p.m., Apple TV Aug. 29 Team Texas: David Starr’s Racing School Sept. 5 NASCAR Racing Experience Sept. 19 Drift n Drag Sept. 19 Black Light Run Sept. 25-26 Dumpster Expo Oct. 1-3 Dirt Track Championship Oct. 2-3 Goodguys Lone Star Nationals Oct. 14 Tony Stewart Bowling Tournament Oct. 16-17 High Limit Racing Championship Oct. 29-31 POWRi Racing
This story was originally published August 15, 2026 at 10:00 PM.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Nick Harris is the Dallas Cowboys beat reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He has experience working on the beat for DallasCowboys.com and previous work experience at Yahoo Sports/Rivals and 247Sports.