The Dallas Cowboys were able to hold off the Seattle Seahawks in a penalty-ridden game, defeating Pete Carroll's squad 41-35.
Even with the Cowboys' victory, the ultimate outcome did not seem certain throughout the game. With about 14 minutes left to go in the game, the Cowboys were down 35-27. But with some late drives down the field, and the defense finally being able to stop DK Metcalf, they were able to pull out a win against a playoff contender (sort of).
Let's take a deeper look with five takeaways:
DK Metcalf had a career night
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The Seahawks wide receiver doubled his season total for receiving touchdowns with 3 against the Cowboys, along with 134 receiving yards. His longest catch of the night was a 73-yard touchdown pass, when he slipped past two Cowboys defenders and ran all the way downfield with no one in front of him.
Metcalf even brought in a young Seahawks fan standing near the sidelines following his third TD of the night. After making the catch, Metcalf runs over to a kid in a Seahawks jersey and gave him the ball. What a great memory for the young fan, and the souvenir is sure to be worth a small fortune.
NFL
Each team helped the other with penalties
The Cowboys and Seahawks combined for 19 penalties, including six defensive pass interference calls, with each team having three.
Both teams also have up a 40+ yard gain due to pass interference, with the opposing offense ending the drive with a touchdown each time.
So I guess you could call them even.
The Cowboys continue their win streak at home
Their victory over the Seahawks was their fourteenth in a row at home. The last time they lost at home was during Week 1 of the 2022 season, against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
During the same time period, they are 6-7 on the road (not including the playoffs, where they went 1-1 last year). Given that the Cowboys are unlikely to win their division and make the playoffs as a wild card, their reliance on their home turf could be a major liability for their Super Bowl chances.
The Seahawks have a tough road ahead
The Seattle Seahawks have an even tougher matchup next week, at San Francisco, before taking on the Eagles in Seattle the week after that.
The Seahawks' other games the rest of the season include the Steelers, Titans and Cardinals.
Call me pessimistic, but it's easy to see the Seahawks getting two more wins this season, if that. Leaving them at 8-9, which probably leaves them out of a wild card spot in the NFC.
The Cowboys' real test is still to come
Yes, this was the first time the Cowboys beat an opponent with a winning record since Week 2, when they beat the New York Jets, who were 1-0 at the time. However, they gave up 35 points to an offense that was struggling before Thursday night's game.
The Seahawks' last touchdown before DK Metcalf's 73-yard touchdown in the first quarter was in the first quarter of their game versus the Rams in Week 11.
In their next three weeks, the Cowboys play the Eagles, Bills and then the Dolphins before taking on the Lions in Week 17. In Week 18, they play the Commanders on the road, depending on how well -- or badly -- they do in the next four weeks, the Cowboys' final game of the season could everything or nothing at all.
The Cowboys needed to beat the Seahawks to keep their critics quiet, but the next three to four weeks will be the real test of how good they can be.
