The Dallas Cowboys are preparing for yet another Thursday night game in Week 13.
Still basking in the glow of a Thanksgiving Day blowout win over the division rival Washington Commanders, the Cowboys turn their sights to the Northwest.
A date in Seattle is on the docket versus Pete Carroll, Geno Smith, and the 6-5 Seahawks.
The Seahawks sit just above .500 on the season, but don’t let their record fool you.
Seattle’s five losses have come at the hands of division rival Los Angeles Rams twice, NFC North powerhouses Baltimore and Cincinnati, and a loss at home versus the 49ers.
Dallas and Seattle have just 21 games of history together, with the Cowboys leading the all-time series 11-10.
Seattle has the upper hand recently, however, coming out victorious in each of the last four regular season games.
The Cowboys snuck a playoff win in between those four regular season games, but otherwise have to go back to the 2014 season for their last regular season victory.
Today I’ve decided to take readers for a stroll down memory lane with my personal top three games between Dallas and Seattle.
Emmitt Makes History
When: 10/27/2002
Where: Texas Stadium, Irving, TX
Result: SEA 17 DAL 14
The date 10/27/2002 is etched into my memory, as is 18,355.
Emmitt Smith makes both of those numbers significant, as that date is the day in which he surpassed Walter Payton for the most rushing yards in NFL history.
The significance of the 18,355 is that is the amount of yards he finished his career with as he kept eclipsing his record with each subsequent carry after that game versus Seattle.
What made the record-setting day more special is the fact it was the lone bright spot in an otherwise miserable season.
Dallas was in the third of three straight 5-11 seasons under HC Dave Campo, and in the worst quarterback rut I’ve personally ever endured as a fan.
Chad Hutchinson holds the honor of being the man who handed off the ball to Emmitt on that fateful play off the left tackle.
The rest of America remembers the play called by the television broadcast team, but Cowboys fans have Brad Sham’s legendary call in their heads.
“Move over, Sweetness. Make room for Emmitt!”
Dallas would go on to lose the game by the score of 17-14 after a Seattle field goal attempt sailed through the uprights with less than a minute to play.
Despite the loss, this game remains one of the fondest of my memories because of Emmitt’s special day.
The Bobbled Snap
When: 1/6/2007
Where: Qwest Field, Seattle, WA
Result: SEA 21 DAL 20
This game needs no introduction.
True Cowboys fans know which game I’m talking about simply based on the headline.
Dallas visited Seattle in the Wildcard round of the 2006 NFL season still looking for their first playoff win since 1996.
It was a wild back-and-forth game that featured some wacky football in the final minutes.
A Martin Gramatica field goal gave the Cowboys a 20-13 lead with about 10 minutes left in the game.
The Dallas defense got a stop, and that’s where things got weird.
Tony Romo threw a quick screen to the left that Terry Glenn couldn’t handle, and the ball rolled into the endzone for a safety.
Holding a 20-15 lead, the Cowboys allowed the Seahawks to score to make it a 21-20 game with just over four minutes to go.
Romo drove the offense down the field, setting up a chip shot field goal to take a 23-21 lead, except the bobbled snap happened.
The ball slipped out of Romo’s hands as he attempted to place the ball down for the kick.
He was forced to run out to the left and was caught from behind just before arriving to the first down marker.
The loss was so devastating that it forced legendary HC Bill Parcells to retire, beginning the Wade Phillips era in Dallas.
Terrance Williams Toe-Tap
When: 10/12/2014
Where: CenturyLink Field, Seattle, WA
Result: DAL 30 SEA 23
Finally, I mention a game the Cowboys actually won.
This game was played during the magical 2014 season when Dallas lost a close game in Green Bay in the Divisional round.
That was the Dez caught-it game, and I can go on and on about that, but that’s a rant for another day.
The 2014 version of the Dallas Cowboys had the best offensive line in the NFL, and they proved it with RB DeMarco Murray rushing for 1,853 yards and 13 touchdowns.
That type of knock-out and grind-it-out style is what earned the Cowboys the victory over the Seahawks and the 12th man in Seattle that day.
Trailing 23-20 in the 4th quarter, Dallas faced a 3rd & 20 on their own side of the field.
Romo dropped back to pass, spun out of a sack, and fired a pass to the right sideline that appeared it was going to sail out of bounds.
Instead, a streaking Terrance Williams secured the catch while falling out of bounds, narrowly getting the tips of his toes inside the boundary.
Dallas would end that drive with a Murray touchdown run from 15 yards out, giving them the 27-23 lead.
The Cowboys would add another field goal, and eventually intercept QB Russell Wilson to seal the game at 30-23.
That win would catapult Dallas to victories in seven of their last 10 games, setting them up for a Wildcard win before the fateful game in Green Bay.