3 Winners & 2 Losers From Seahawks Preseason Week 1 Loss vs. Cowboys

The Seattle Seahawks hosted the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday night as each team kicked off its 2026 preseason. Seattle entered the game looking to defend its Super Bowl win, while the Cowboys are trying to bounce back from back-to-back seven-win seasons.

What was interesting was that each franchise was also leaning on a new coordinator, with Brian Fleury running the offense in Seattle and Christian Parker running the defense in Dallas. In this one, Parker had the stronger debut as the Seahawks' offense failed to close out several drives, eventually losing 17-7.

Winning is always more enjoyable, but what's really important in the preseason is seeing some of the younger players in action. That being the case, here's a look at which players stood out as both winners and losers for the Seahawks.

Winner: Tyrice Knight, LB

Seattle Seahawks LB Tyrice Knight celebrates after stripping the ball on a sack for a touchdown against the Cardinals. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Linebacker Tyrice Knight lost his starting job last year but has come back ready to prove himself in 2026. Knight even earned the praise of Mike Macdonald recently for how well he's been playing in camp.

That carried into the preseason opener with Knight breaking up a third-down pass from Sam Howell to Anthony Smith to end the Cowboys' opening drive. Playing tight coverage on a wideout is impressive, but it was far from his only play. Knight finished with 10 tackles and had one of the harder hits of the game in the first quarter against running back Jaydon Blue. He also stuffed Blue on a screen pass, helping to stall the Cowboys' second drive, which ended with a field goal rather than a touchdown.

Loser: Josh Jones, OT

Seattle Seahawks OL Josh Jones walks off the field after defeating the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Seattle had a 15-play drive end in disappointment when Jason Myers missed a field goal. Initially, it seemed the drive would continue when Jalen Milroe connected with Jake Bobo on fourth-and-two for nine yards. That play was negated, however, by a holding penalty on Josh Jones. There's never a good time for a penalty, but one that erases a huge play can be devastating.

Winner: George Holani, RB

Seattle Seahawks running back George Holani carries the ball against the Dallas Cowboys. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The run blocking left something to be desired, but that didn't stop George Holani from moving the chains. He was the driving force behind their 15-play, 50-yard drive just before halftime. It wasn't necessarily his yardage, but the broken tackles that stood out. He continually picked up extra yardage on each carry and wore down the defense in the process.

Loser: Bobby Hart, OT

Dallas Cowboys OT Malachi Lawrence during the first half against Seattle Seahawks OT Bobby Hart. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Seattle decided to try and do something at the end of the second quarter despite having just 38 seconds. They were unable to gain any ground due to struggles on the offensive line. Two of those issues were courtesy of Bobby Hart, who was unable to hold off James Houston, who recorded sacks against Hart on consecutive plays. One didn't count since the Cowboys took a holding penalty on Bau Stephens, but it was still an ugly series for Hart.

It wasn't the only bad series for him either, as Hart struggled with rookie Malachi Lawrence as well. Lawrence didn't record a sack but generated plenty of pressure when facing the more experienced Hart.

Winner: Rashad Rochelle, WR

A rookie out of Indiana State, Rashad Rochelle had a huge play that nearly helped Seattle get out of their slump. After taking a 7-0 lead, Seattle surrendered 17 unanswered points, and it was all Dallas. Rochelle then put them in scoring position late in the third quarter when he ripped off a 52-yard punt return. Rochelle was tackled by his undershirt, which kept it from being a touchdown.

Rashad Rochelle just flipped the field ⚡ 52 yards. pic.twitter.com/K3QJVbzwbt
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) August 16, 2026

The offense failed to score after turning it over on downs, but that doesn't take away from the big play out of Rochelle.

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