Camden Brown scored twice as Dallas beat Seattle 17-7, while Christian Parker’s defense delivered two goal-line stands in an impressive preseason debut.

The Dallas Cowboys opened the 2026 NFL preseason with more than a meaningless August victory. They may have uncovered another dangerous receiver—and offered the first glimpse of a defense capable of surviving when everything around it goes wrong.

Dallas defeated the Seattle Seahawks 17-7 Saturday night at Lumen Field behind two touchdowns from undrafted rookie Camden Brown and a suffocating performance from new defensive coordinator Christian Parker’s unit.

Seattle traveled 80 yards for a touchdown on its opening possession, helped by two Dallas penalties. That was the last time the Seahawks scored.

The Cowboys held Seattle to 156 total yards, including only 76 through the air, while recording two pivotal goal-line stands. The most impressive came after Traeshon Holden muffed a punt near his own goal line, handing Seattle a first-and-goal opportunity at the Dallas 5. Instead of folding, Parker’s defense denied the Seahawks on four consecutive plays.

That response mattered more than anything that happened on the scoreboard.

Brown, meanwhile, turned his preseason opportunity into a full-blown roster statement. The former Auburn and Georgia Southern receiver caught three passes for 62 yards, scoring Dallas’ only two touchdowns.

His first came when Sam Howell connected with him for a 39-yard strike shortly before halftime, giving Dallas a 10-7 lead. Brown struck again during the opening drive of the third quarter, making a spectacular one-handed catch on a 2-yard fade from Joe Milton.

It was the kind of grab that instantly changes the conversation surrounding the final receiver spots.

Dallas also received encouraging results from its backup quarterback competition. Howell completed 8 of 12 passes for 94 yards and one touchdown, while Milton went 12-of-15 for 107 yards and another score. Neither quarterback turned the ball over.

Malik Davis led the Cowboys’ rushing attack with 39 yards on seven carries. Jaydon Blue had a quieter evening, gaining 19 yards on eight attempts, while Phil Mafah left with a chest injury that coach Brian Schottenheimer indicated wasn’t serious.

The performance wasn’t clean. Dallas committed 13 penalties for 103 yards and had multiple special-teams breakdowns, including a long Seattle punt return and Holden’s costly muff.

Those mistakes could’ve changed the outcome against a starting-caliber lineup. But for one preseason night, the Cowboys’ defense repeatedly erased them.

Dallas earned its first preseason-opening victory since 2017, but the bigger developments were Brown’s arrival and Parker’s defense showing some bite. If either carries into the regular season, this game will mean much more than its place in the exhibition standings.