The Dallas Cowboys won their league-best 14th consecutive game at home. Now they can turn their focus to weightier matters.
In a wild affair Thursday night that didn’t include a single punt for either team yet more than 250 combined penalty yards, “America’s Team” outlasted the Seattle Seahawks, 41-35, solidifying Dallas’ hold on the NFC’s top wild-card spot. Next up? The Cowboys will host the Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium on Dec. 10 in a bid to draw closer to the NFC East leaders, who currently own a 10-1 record — best in the NFL.
Quarterback Dak Prescott burnished his MVP argument, completing 29 of 41 passes for 299 yards and three TDs, giving him 20 TD strikes in his past six outings. He outdueled Seattle counterpart Geno Smith, who had a big night himself (23-for-41, 334 yards, 3 TDs, INT).
‘We needed this, obviously a close game,’ Prescott said afterward on Prime Video’s postgame set. ‘We can go a long way as long as we continue to build.’
Smith, who consistently picked on Dallas corner DaRon Bland with success, hooked up with DK Metcalf for three TDs. However, despite a valiant effort in a shootout-type atmosphere, Seattle dropped to 6-6 and into the NFC’s third and final wild-card position. The Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Rams — who have already swept Seattle this season — and New Orleans Saints are all a half-game back at 5-6.
NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.
Now 9-3, the Cowboys have the best record in the NFC South of Philadelphia. They will be rooting for the San Francisco 49ers to win in Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday afternoon, an outcome that would allow Dallas to pull even with the reigning NFC champs by earning a season split in Week 14. — Nate Davis
Winners and losers from Cowboys’ win over Seahawks
WINNERS
QBs Dak Prescott and Geno Smith: For all of the talk about poor quarterback play throughout the league this season – injuries to top-end starters certainly having an impact – Prescott and Smith cast those aspersions aside for the night.
Both signal-callers made clutch throws from start to finish and ended the game with ratings of more than 100. Prescott was 29 of 41 (70.9%) for 299 yards and had three passing touchdowns. It was the fourth straight game the Cowboys scored 40 or more points at home, as Prescott began fine-tuning his MVP resume in front of the national audience.
Smith threw for 334 yards and also had three touchdowns, but committed a turnover when Daron Bland intercepted him in the third quarter. His near-touchdown pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, overturned on a replay review because the receiver didn’t control the ball, was the throw of the game.
DK Metcalf shines in loss: Seahawks star wideout DK Metcalf had his way versus Cowboys pick-six king DaRon Bland in the first half.
Metcalf tallied three catches, 108 yards and two touchdowns on Bland in the first half. One of Metcalf’s receptions was on a skinny post that went for a 73-yard touchdown.
Bland and the Cowboys secondary had a difficult time containing Metcalf for most of the contest. Metcalf produced six catches, a season-high 134 yards and three touchdowns in the loss. Metcalf’s three touchdowns tied a single-game career-best.
NFC West-leading 49ers: The 49ers (8-3), who already defeated Seattle once, are now three games ahead of the Seahawks (6-6) in the loss column. The 49ers have a showdown Sunday against the Eagles, but they have a comfortable three-game lead in the NFC West.
San Francisco hosts Seattle in Week 14.
The 49ers won the NFC West in 2022. They haven’t won back-to-back NFC West titles since 2011-2012.
NFC playoff hopefuls: The Seahawks’ loss was welcomed by the fringe NFC contenders, which include the Vikings, Packers, Rams and whoever decides to finish second in the NFC South. With Seattle now .500 at 6-6, the door is open for those teams with similar records.
LOSERS
Michael Gallup: Prescott completed passes to eight different Cowboys, and Gallup was not one of them. In fact, he only had one target. Lamb is the clear preferred choice of Prescott in the passing game, but the emergence of tight end Jake Ferguson (six catches, 77 yards, one touchdown) could mean even less of a market share for Gallup.
Eagles’ NFC East hopes: Suddenly, Sunday’s game against the 49ers becomes even more important. Philadelphia still controls its own destiny, but it had to feel good watching Dallas on the ropes. But for the second straight season, the Eagles won’t be able to lock up the NFC East early in the postseason hunt due to Dallas’ lingering. Their Dec. 10 matchup on ‘Sunday Night Football’ will be must-watch for obvious reasons.
Punters Bryan Anger and Michael Dickson were spectators: Punters on both teams were irrelevant in the back-and-forth affair. Thursday night’s game had no punts on either side in 21 combined drives. It’s the fifth game in NFL history that featured zero punts. — Chris Bumbaca and Tyler Dragon
Cowboys-Seahawks highlights
Dak Prescott threw three touchdown passes and the Cowboys extended their home winning streak to 14 games, rallying for a 41-35 victory over the Seahawks.
Micah Parsons’ blitz ends game
Faced with a fourth-and-2 from the 50-yard line in order to keep the game going, Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons blitzed off the edge and immediately forced Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith to throw an hurried incomplete pass.
The Seahawks’ drive started with promise, as Smith connected with Tyler Lockett for a 17-yard gain on the first play, and then hit Noah Fant for an 8-yard gain on the next. But the drive, and the Seahawks’ hopes for victory, ended with three incomplete passes. — Jim Reineking
Cowboys 41, Seahawks 35: Brandon Aubrey’s fourth field adds to lead late
After the Seahawks turned the ball over on downs with 3:11 left in the game, the Cowboys drove into easy field goal range for Brandon Aubrey.
The Cowboys advanced as far as the Seahawks’ 14-yard line, but could not get a first down on on third-and-3 to seal the game with Seattle out of time outs.
Aubrey connected on a 32-yard field goal, his fourth of the game, to give Dallas a six-point lead with 1:43 left in the game. — Jim Reineking
Cowboys 38, Seahawks 35: Jake Ferguson puts Dallas back on top
Dak Prescott and the Cowboys’ offense had a short field. The made quick work of it, going 54 yards in 2:27. CeeDee Lamb caught three passes and is up to 12 catches for 116 yards (one touchdown). Prescott hit tight end Jake Ferguson in one-on-one coverage with Seahawks safety Jamal Adams for a 12-yard touchdown to retake the lead, 36-35.
The two-point conversion attempt, a pass over the middle to Brandin Cooks, was successful, and the Cowboys led 38-35 with 4:37 left in the game. — Chris Bumbaca
Cowboys defense stops Seattle on fourth down, Zach Charbonnet hurt
The Cowboys defense came up with a crucial fourth-down stop.
On fourth-and-1 from the Dallas 46-yard line, Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet was stopped in the backfield by Cowboys defense end DeMarcus Lawrence for no gain.
To make matters worse, Charbonnet went into the blue medical tent to be checked out after he was stopped on fourth down.
The turnover on downs gave the Cowboys the football trailing 35-30 with 7:04 left in the game. — Tyler Dragon
Seahawks 35, Cowboys 30: Brandon Aubrey field goal trims Seattle’s lead
The Cowboys moved the ball 35 yards thanks to a pass interference penalty called on Seahawks cornerback Tariq Woolen, who tried to break up a Dak Prescott pass down the left sideline to CeeDee Lamb. Prescott somehow avoided a sack on the next play and found Jalen Tolbert for a sideline catch and a gain of 17. The drive stalled there, though, and Brandon Aubrey squeaked in a 38-yard field goal to salvage some of it and cut Seattle’s lead to 35-30 with roughly 11 minutes remaining in the game. — Chris Bumbaca
Seahawks 35, Cowboys 27: DK Metcalf scores his third TD of game
DK Metcalf is having a night on primetime.
Metcalf caught a 3-yard touchdown in the back of the end zone for his third touchdown of the night.
Metcalf’s touchdown pushed Seattle’s lead to 35-27 with 14:17 remaining in the fourth quarter.
The wideout’s touchdown capped off a five-play, 70-yard drive for the Seahawks.
Metcalf now has six catches, a season-high 134 yards and three touchdowns in the game. His three touchdowns are tied for a single-game career-high. — Tyler Dragon
Cowboys fail to capitalize on DaRon Bland’s INT
The Cowboys got the benefit of DaRon Bland’s league-leading eighth interception … and turned it into a four-and-out.
Dallas gave the ball right back to Seattle after HC Mike McCarthy opted to go for it on fourth-and-2 from Seattle’s 30-yard line, but QB Dak Prescott’s quick pass to WR CeeDee Lamb fell incomplete. The opportunity cost? After opting not to try and tie the score with a two-point play following Dallas’ last TD, McCarthy eschews a 48-yard FG try for the lead from deadeye kicker Brandon Aubrey. Could be a pivotal series that generates plenty of second guessing as the Seahawks retain their 28-27 lead. — Nate Davis
DaRon Bland collects another interception
It hasn’t been the best night for Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland, who has been beat multiple times for Seahawks touchdowns one week after making history on Thanksgiving for most interception returns for a touchdown in one season (five).
But Bland had his moment against Seattle, too. With the Cowboys trailing 28-27 late in the third quarter, Bland jumped an out route run by rookie wideout Jaxon Smith-Ngiba and undercut the Geno Smith throw that would have given the Seahawks the first down. Bland never took his eyes off Smith and came up with the ball.
It was his eighth interception of the season and his fourth consecutive contest with a pick. — Chris Bumbaca
Seahawks 28, Cowboys 27: Dallas pulls within one point after Tony Pollard TD
Seattle scored on its first possession to start the second half, and so did the Cowboys.
Dallas went on a 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to slim its deficit, 28-27, with 3:41 in the third quarter. The series ended when Cowboys running back Tony Pollard ran to the right side for a 6-yard touchdown run.
Pollard has 14 carries, 35 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown in the game. He also has two catches for 17 yards.
The Cowboys’ touchdown drive was littered with five penalties. — Tyler Dragon
Seahawks 28, Cowboys 20: Geno Smith scrambles for six
Geno Smith had thrown 21 passes before using his legs. But the first time he rushed resulted in six points for the Seahawks and extended their lead to 28-20 with 10:01 remaining in the third quarter.
On third-and-goal, Smith dropped back and looked to throw his third touchdown pass of the game. Instead, with plenty of turf in front of him, he ran – right up the middle into the end zone to cap a 10-play drive for Seattle. A pair of Zach Charbonnet rushes for a combined 21 yards and a 15-yard facemask penalty were the big factors in moving the ball on the Dallas defense once again. — Chris Bumbaca
Dallas dominance at home?
Not only have the Cowboys won 13 in a row at home, their five win at AT&T Stadium this season have come by an average of 29 points. Their closest result at JerryWorld was a 30-10 triumph over the New York Jets in Week 2. Tonight is the first time this season they’ve trailed in the second half in their own building. — Nate Davis
Wild first half at AT&T Stadium
In a wild first half that had seven scores, more than 400 yards of total offense, 11 penalties — and zero punts — the Seattle Seahawks went into the locker room with a 21-20 lead over the Dallas Cowboys and will come out of it receiving the second-half kickoff.
QBs Geno Smith and Dak Prescott traded a pair of TD passes, both of Smith’s going to WR DK Metcalf. But Seattle has been the more efficient team, finding the paint three times in four drives — the other a missed field goal from Jason Myers — while Dallas settled for a pair of field goals in its four trips inside the red zone. Seattle, which hasn’t even possessed the ball for 10 minutes, is averaging 7.5 yards per play, converted five of six third downs and consistently gone after Dallas CB DaRon Bland, who broke the league’s single-season record for pick-sixes on Thanksgiving with his fifth.
Dallas has outgained Seattle 236-195 but is averaging only 3 yards per carry and is generating very little pressure on Smith defensively. — Nate Davis
Seahawks 21, Cowboys 20: Seattle closes half with momentum-swinging TD
The Seahawks needed just one minute in 26 seconds to score at the end of the first half.
Geno Smith and Jaxon Smith-Njigba thought they had a 30-yard touchdown to end the half. However, officials reversed the call upon review. It wasn’t all bad news, though. The Cowboys were called for a pass interference on the play.
On the next play, the Cowboys called a timeout just before the Seahawks passed for another touchdown.
The wild sequence ended in Seattle’s favor when Smith passed to DK Metcalf, who beat DaRon Bland again, on a quick slant for a 1-yard touchdown.
Smith’s touchdown gave Seattle a 21-20 lead to end the first half. — Tyler Dragon
Cowboys 20, Seahawks 14: Brandon Aubrey adds second field goal
The bad news for the Seahawks is that they cannot stop the Cowboys from scoring. The good news for them is that every other possession results in a field goal instead of a touchdown.
Dallas went on the longest drive of the half, taking 7:25 off the clock over 16 plays. But Dak Prescott’s three-yard touchdown rush on fourth-and-goal was negated by a Tyler Steele holding penalty and Brandon Aubrey knocked through his second field goal of the game to make it 20-14 with 1:30 left in the first half.
The Cowboys are 7-for-10 on third down, with three of those conversions coming on this drive. They are also dominating time of possession, holding the ball for a total of 20:15. — Chris Bumbaca
Cowboys 17, Seahawks 14: Zach Charbonnet scores first NFL TD
The Seahawks are staying within one score of the Cowboys.
Two pass interference penalties put the Seahawks in striking distance, including one on Cowboys CB Stephon Gilmore that placed the football on the 1-yard line. Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet rushed up the middle for a 1-yard touchdown one play later.
Charbonnet’s touchdown cut Dallas’ lead, 17-14.
The Cowboys have three penalties for 58 yards. Two came on Seattle’s second touchdown drive. — Tyler Dragon
Dallas’ rushing issues
Scoring in the red zone and running the ball continue to be a challenge for Dallas, which had 24 rushing TDs in 2022 — half from former RB Ezekiel Elliott, and none from further than 14 yards. This season, the Cowboys have 10 TDs on the ground, only four inside of 5 yards.
Tony Pollard continues to look miscast as RB1, averaging 4.5 yards per touch in 2023 after approaching 6 during his 2022 Pro Bowl breakout season, when he was the change-of-pace option after Elliott. The Cowboys are averaging 3.7 yards per rush tonight. — Nate Davis
Cowboys 17, Seahawks 7: Dak Prescott throws second TD of first half
The Cowboys have scored on their first three possessions.
Dak Prescott led the Cowboys on an 11-play, 68-yard touchdown drive to give the team a 17-7 lead with 11:37 remaining in the second quarter.
The Cowboys’ second touchdown of the night came when Prescott passed to a wide open Brandin Cooks for a 7-yard touchdown.
Prescott and the Cowboys offense have started off hot. The Cowboys quarterback has 148 passing yards and two touchdowns. Dallas has 164 total yards and 12 first downs in the first half. — Tyler Dragon
‘Here we go!’: Why Cowboys’ Dak Prescott uses unique snap cadence
You don’t even have to be an attentive Dallas Cowboys fan to have heard it.
‘YEAH! HERE WE GOOOO.’
This is the start of the cadence quarterback Dak Prescott uses before he initiates offensive plays for the Cowboys. And, with the precision and clarity of sideline microphones and with the booming nature of the way Prescott yells the cadence, you also don’t need to have the volume on your TV cranked up to hear it. — Lorenzo Reyes
Seahawks donning throwback uniforms
Thursday night is the second time since the 2001 season that the Seahawks have worn uniforms that mimic the versions they’d donned since their inception in 1976. The other time was their Week 8 victory over the Cleveland Browns in Seattle. The NFL relaxed its rule about usage of alternate helmets in 2022, enabling Seattle to bring back the silver buckets worn during the franchise’s first 26 seasons. The retro look has been widely applauded by players, whether or not they’d played for the Seahawks. — Nate Davis
Cowboys lead 10-7 after first quarter
The Cowboys and Seahawks traded TD passes and nearly field goals in the first quarter before Seattle’s Jason Myers missed on a 42-yarder, allowing Dallas to maintain a 10-7 lead. The Seahawks enjoyed a 137-109 yardage advantage but also incurred three penalties for 58 yards. Dallas, riding a 13-game winning streak at AT&T Stadium, enters the second period driving. — Nate Davis
Seahawks’ Jason Myers misses field goal attempt
No kicker in the league entered this week with more field goal tries than the Seahawks’ Jason Myers. (Dustin Hopkins of the Cleveland Browns also had 31 through his first 11 games of the season.)
His first attempt against the Cowboys did not go according to plan.
As the first quarter neared its end, Seattle was flagged for a delay of game as Myers was about to kick a 37-yard field goal that would have knotted the game at 10. Instead, the kick was aborted with laundry on the field. Coach Pete Carroll was upset, arguing that the referees had moved the ball as the field-goal unit lined up.
Myers, from 42 yards, pushed the kick wide right, and Dallas retook the ball still in the lead.
The Seahawks moved down the field thanks to DK Metcalf’s second catch of the game came when he beat Cowboys cornerback Daron Bland again, this time down the left sideline. Geno Smith dropped the ball in the bucket for a 34-yard pickup.
Myers is now 25-for-32 on the season, although that was just the third miss from within 50 yards. — Chris Bumbaca
Cowboys 10, Seahawks 7: Dallas answers with CeeDee Lamb TD
The Seahawks didn’t have the lead for long. After Seattle took an early 7-3 advantage, the Cowboys went on a quick five-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that was capped off by a 15-yard touchdown catch by wideout CeeDee Lamb.
Seahawks corner Riq Woolen was called for a pass interference on the Dallas drive, which put the Cowboys in good field possession. Dak Prescott’s touchdown pass to Lamb came two plays after the penalty.
The Cowboys have a 10-7 advantage late in the first quarter. — Tyler Dragon
Seahawks 7, Cowboys 3: DK Metcalf takes skinny post to the house
The Seahawks faced a third-and-8 on their first drive. Seahawks Geno Smith dropped back and passed to wide receiver DK Metcalf running a skinny post — and the rest is history.
Metcalf caught the football, beating the Cowboys’ record-setting cornerback DaRon Bland and raced down the field for a 73-yard touchdown to give Seattle a 7-3 lead with 7:28 to go in the first quarter.
The touchdown pass was Smith’s first completion and Metcalf’s first reception of the contest. — Tyler Dragon
Cowboys 3, Seahawks 0: Dallas settles for field goal after promising opening drive
The Cowboys faced little resistance as they entered the red zone on their opening series. However, their drive stalled on third-and-goal when Dak Prescott was sacked by Seahawks linebacker Jordyn Brooks for a nine-yard loss.
Dallas had to settle for a 30-yard field goal by kicker Brandon Aubrey.
Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb had two catches for 31 yards on the Cowboys’ opening drive.
Present went 5-of-8 passing for 65 yards. — Tyler Dragon
What are Thursday night’s playoff implications?
Win or lose, the Cowboys (8-3) will remain the NFC’s fifth seed after tonight’s game. But a victory is imperative if they want any reasonable shot to catch their Week 14 opponent, the Philadelphia Eagles (10-1), atop the NFC East standings. Seattle (6-5) is in a more precarious position. Currently the sixth seed, the Seahawks would slip to seventh with a loss behind the Minnesota Vikings (6-6), who own a better record in conference games. The Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Rams — they’ve already swept Seattle — and New Orleans Saints all sit just outside the NFC field with 5-6 ledgers going into Week 13. — Nate Davis
What time does Seahawks vs. Cowboys start?
Kickoff for Seahawks-Cowboys is set for 8:15 p.m. ET on Nov. 30 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
How can I watch Seahawks vs. Cowboys?
Seahawks-Cowboys will be streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime Video and will be broadcast in local markets only. Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit, Kaylee Hartung (sideline reporter) will handle live game coverage for Prime Video.
Seahawks at Cowboys: Predictions, picks and odds
The Cowboys are favorites to defeat the Seahawks, according to BetMGM NFL odds.
Spread: Cowboys (-9.5) Moneyline: Cowboys (-450); Seahawks (+340)Over/under: 47.5Lorenzo Reyes: Cowboys 25, Seahawks 20 — Dallas has been on an absolute rampage, covering five of their last six games and winning in blowout fashion. Still, their strength of schedule has recently been on the weaker side. And the Seahawks, though mercurial, are still a talented crew. I think this one stays closer.Tyler Dragon: Cowboys 28, Seahawks 20 — The Cowboys have three straight wins against inferior opponents. The Seahawks are a step up in competition, but Geno Smith and company are coming off a dreadful performance against San Francisco. The Cowboys’ third-ranked defense is going to cause Seattle some trouble on the road. Plus, Cowboys QB Dak Prescott is playing some of the best football of his career.Safid Deen: Cowboys 31, Seahawks 23 — Dak Prescott and the Cowboys are on a roll winning five of their last six games and should take care of the visiting Seahawks at home Thursday night. This isn’t the most ideal opponent for Seattle amid a two-game skid.Victoria Hernandez: Cowboys 32, Seahawks 20 — The Cowboys are running on all cylinders right now. Dak Prescott threw four touchdowns in two of their past three games and DaRon Bland made NFL history on defense. The Seahawks did their best last week with a beat-up team against another fierce defense. But even if Geno Smith’s a bit healthier and they get Kenneth Walker III back, Seattle doesn’t pose much of a threat to the Dallas freight train.Jordan Mendoza: Cowboys 31, Seahawks 21 — Dallas is coming off another dominating win while Seattle is reeling. The Cowboys have won every home contest this season by at least 20 points while scoring at least 30. The Seahawks should give Dallas a bigger test, but the Cowboys are too strong and they get another double-digit win.
Seahawks headed back to prime time sooner than expected
The NFL made a touch of history Thursday, flexing a ‘Monday Night Football’ game for competitive reasons for the first time in league history. The Seahawks are a part of that, their home game with the Philadelphia Eagles shifted into ESPN’s Dec. 18 slot, the previously scheduled Chiefs-Patriots “MNF” matchup reverting to Sunday, Dec. 17 in the 1 p.m. ET slot on FOX. — Nate Davis
Dak Prescott at home
The Cowboys have made themselves mighty comfortable within the home confines of “Jerry World” aka AT&T Stadium. Dallas is undefeated at home in 2023 and went 8-1 during the 2022 regular season. Dating back to 2021, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is 16-4 at home and has thrown 50 touchdowns in 20 games, while averaging 269.8 passing yards per game. — Chris Bumbaca
What is Dak Prescott’s primetime record?
Entering Week 13, Prescott has a career record of 69-39 as a starter. Prescott is 22-11 during his career in regular-season primetime games, including a 5-1 record on ‘Thursday Night Football.’
Here is a breakdown:
NFL Kickoff Game: 0-1 ‘Thursday Night Football’: 5-1 Saturday night: 1-0 ‘Sunday Night Football’: 11-8 ‘Monday Night Football’: 5-1
What are Dak Prescott’s MVP chances?
As the 2023 NFL season enters the home stretch, conversations surrounding the league MVP are ramping up.
The Philadelphia Eagles’ Jalen Hurts, Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and Baltimore Ravens’ Lamar Jackson are dominating MVP talks, but Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons says another candidate should be in the mix — his quarterback Dak Prescott. — Cydney Henderson
Seahawks vs. Cowboys inactives: Kenneth Walker III is out
The Seahawks will be without starting running back Kenneth Walker III (oblique) for the second straight week, which means rookie Zach Charbonnet will anchor the team’s rushing game.
Seahawks’ inactive players:
WR Dee EskridgeRB Kenneth Walker IIIOT McClendon CurtisOT Raiqwon O’NealWR Dareke YoungDE Myles Adams
Cowboys’ inactive players:
QB Trey Lance (third QB)CB Noah IgbinogheneCB Eric ScottRB Deuce VaughnOT Asim RichardsWR Jalen Brooks
Micah Parsons’ sack pace
With every sack Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons records, the higher he climbs the list of most sacks for a player in his first three seasons in the NFL (since sacks became a stat in 1982).
And the collection of names he joins is impressive.
Parsons’ 38 sacks in 44 career games is 1.5 behind Chargers legend Shawne Merriman. Dwight Freeney, who did it for the Indianapolis Colts, is next at 40 sacks, and Aldon Smith had 42 sacks in his first three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers.
Hall of Famers Reggie White (52) and Derrick Thomas (43.5) are Nos. 1 and 2 on the list, respectively.
Parsons has four sacks in his last two games. — Chris Bumbaca
CeeDee Lamb chasing Michael Irvin
CeeDee Lamb already has posted his third consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season. However, the fourth-year receiver out of Oklahoma is on the brink of a historic Cowboys season.
Lamb’s 96.9 receiving yards per game (entering Week 13) currently stand second behind Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Irvin’s 100.2 yards-per-game average from the 1995 season, which is the last season in which the Cowboys won the Super Bowl.
At 1,066 yards (entering Week 13), Lamb has a great chance to post the highest single-season receiving yardage total in team history (Lamb does get an extra game now that the NFL plays a 17-game regular season).
Here are the top five receiving yardage seasons in Cowboys history:
Michael Irvin, 1995: 1,603Michael Irvin, 1991: 1,523Michael Irvin, 1992: 1,396Dez Bryant, 2012: 1,382CeeDee Lamb, 2022: 1,359
Enter Week 13, Lamb already ranks ninth on the Cowboys’ career receiving yardage list. — Jim Reineking
DaRon Bland has breakout season for Cowboys
DaRon Bland’s 48.4 passer rating against is the lowest passer rating allowed for a cornerback with at least 50 targets. Bland set an NFL single-season record this year with five pick-sixes.
Bland went from a relatively unknown commodity to a breakout player in 2023. The Cowboys selected the cornerback in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL draft out of Fresno State. — Tyler Dragon
Tariq Woolen: Seahawks’ shutdown corner
Tariq Woolen has allowed 231 receiving yards on 45 targets this season, which is the second fewest yards allowed for an NFL cornerback this season with at least 40 targets. — Tyler Dragon
Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey off to historic start
Brandon Aubrey has still not missed a field goal in the NFL. The 28-year-old rookie is 22-for-22 on field goals, the longest streak to start a career. Aubrey was a soccer player at Notre Dame and was a first-round draft pick by Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC in 2017. He eventually switched to kicking footballs and was the USFL’s top kicker in 2022 and 2023, when he won back-to-back championships with the Birmingham Stallions.
A native of north Texas, Aubrey signed with the Cowboys ahead of training camp and won the job over Tristan Vizcaino to replace former Cowboys kicker Brett Maher. It was Maher’s meltdown in the playoffs last season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that prompted Jerry Jones and the Cowboys front office to consider external options at the position. In Aubrey, they found another weapon to help the Cowboys on their way to being the top-scoring team this season (31.5 points per game).
Aubrey, however, has missed extra-point attempts in two consecutive games. He’s 32-of-35 on XPs. Five of his field goals have been from 50 yards or further. — Chris Bumbaca
Tony Dorsett a Seahawk?
Seattle didn’t reach the Super Bowl until its 30th season, 2005. The Seahawks didn’t capture the Lombardi Trophy until the ‘Legion of Boom’ led the charge to Super Bowl 48, where a dominant defense ambushed Peyton Manning and a record-setting Denver Broncos offense to cap the 2013 campaign. But could such glory have transpired sooner?
The Seahawks botched their second draft, in 1977, courtesy of the Cowboys. Seattle was induced to deal out of the No. 2 overall spot after Heisman Trophy winner Tony Dorsett threatened not to play in the Emerald City. So Dallas moved up for the future Hall of Fame back. The Seahawks instead reeled in Steve August, Tom Lynch, Terry Beeson and Glenn Carano. Who? Exactly. Guess who won the Super Bowl the following season? — Nate Davis
NFL Week 13 picks, predictions and odds
Los Angeles Chargers at New England PatriotsDetroit Lions at New Orleans SaintsAtlanta Falcons at New York JetsArizona Cardinals at Pittsburgh SteelersIndianapolis Colts at Tennessee TitansMiami Dolphins at Washington CommandersDenver Broncos at Houston TexansCarolina Panthers at Tampa Bay BuccaneersCleveland Browns at Los Angeles RamsSan Francisco 49ers at Philadelphia EaglesKansas City Chiefs at Green Bay PackersCincinnati Bengals at Jacksonville Jaguars
Kirk Herbstreit defends TNF colleague Al Michaels
Don’t bring that Al Michaels slander near Kirk Herbstreit.
The ‘Thursday Night Football’ analyst came to his play-by-play partner’s defense during an appearance on the ‘Pardon My Take’ podcast that aired Wednesday. Herbstreit, in his second year working with Michaels, 79, said the ‘narrative’ regarding Michaels’ enthusiasm during the broadcasts was ‘a bunch of (expletive).’ — Chris Bumbaca
NFL Week 13 playoff clinching scenarios
One of the Cowboys’ NFC East rivals — the Philadelphia Eagles — can be the first NFL team to clinch a playoff berth for the 2023 season during Week 13.
NFL playoff picture
Here is a look at which teams would comprise the postseason field after the results of Week 12.
NFL power rankings
Where do the Seahawks and Cowboys rank among all 32 teams heading into their matchup of NFC playoff contenders in Week 13?
4th & Monday: Our NFL newsletter always brings the blitz
Do you like football? Then you’ll enjoy getting our NFL newsletter delivered to your inbox.
Get the latest news, expert analysis, game insights and the must-see moments from the NFL conveniently delivered to your email inbox. Sign up now!
All odds provided by BetMGM. We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY operates independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside.
