How far behind are the Cowboys from Seattle and playing in a Super Bowl?

It’s Super Bowl week, and once again the Dallas Cowboys and their fans are onlookers as two teams aim to win the Lombardi trophy. Dallas hasn’t played in the big game since the 1995 season, and although a cherished memory, it is a relic of the past and a brutal reminder that the Cowboys have to find a way to reach the mountain top after such a long time. Since 1995, the Cowboys have watched every team in their conference at least reach the doorstep of playing in the Super Bowl by making it to the NFC title game. That is, except for the Cowboys. In that span, the Washington Commanders have played in the NFC title game last season despite not winning a postseason game since 2005. Also, the Philadelphia Eagles have won two Super Bowls in the last ten years. Clearly, the Cowboys aren’t doing something right. 

To pour some salt in the wound, Dallas fans will watch as former Cowboy and Pro Bowler DeMarcus Lawrence attempts to compete for a championship. This comes after he famously said this past offseason that he wasn’t going to win a championship in Dallas.

Seattle was good last season, but they were far from world-beaters and failed to make the postseason in 2024. Now, they could win their second title in franchise history with a win over the New England Patriots on Sunday. Following Seattle’s sudden success and Lawrence’s comments, one has to wonder: How far away are the Cowboys from competing for a championship? Here’s a comparison of Seattle and Dallas, and how the Cowboys could close the gap on Seattle to be where they are next season. 

Seattle offense vs. Dallas offense

When assessing both offenses, let’s start at the quarterback position. Sam Darnold is having a career renaissance and, after a brief stop in Minnesota last year, has carried over that confidence to Seattle. He looks like the quarterback the New York Jets were expecting when they drafted him with the third overall pick in 2018. Darnold has made the Pro Bowl in consecutive seasons and has won 28 regular season games in the last two years. However, Dak Prescott’s body of work with the Cowboys has been as impressive if not more. Prescott is consistently one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL with elite processing before the snap. He was an All-Pro in 2023 and has made the Pro Bowl four times. His leadership is and resilience is his defining trait. 

As far as pass catchers, you can make the case that Jaxon Smith-Njigba is equal to CeeDee Lamb in the way that they can play from anywhere on the field and a have a flare for acrobatic plays. Yet, when you add George Pickens and Jake Ferguson into the equation, it sure appears that Dallas has the stronger pass-catching group. Cooper Kupp isn’t what he used to be, and Rashid Shaheed doesn’t have the consistency as a receiver to rival George Pickens; the advantage goes to the Cowboys in that area. 

Where Seattle does gain an edge is their running back rotation, at least when healthy. Of course, Javonte Williams was fantastic last season and had his best year as a pro. Still, the depth behind him was cause for concern. Malik Davis showed flashes but there was nothing much from Jaydon Blue who was buried on the depth chart and usually inactive on game days, along with Phil Mafah who didn’t play until the end of the season.

Seattle had a great combination of Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet. Walker is an elusive runner that breaks tackles much like Williams except he has more shiftiness to his game. Charbonnet is tank of a runner that bears deceptive speed to go along with soft hands as a pass catcher. He tore his ACL against the San Francisco 49ers a few weeks ago. Yet, it’s clear that Dallas needs more at running back and the duo of Walker and Charbonnet provided a balance that the Cowboys need in their running game. 

You can say that the Cowboys and Seahawks offensive lines are mirror opposites of one another. Seattle has adequate protection at the tackle position but lacks experience on the inside and as a result is among the worst rated units as Sports Illustrated notes. The interior is comprised of replacement-level players while Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas are solid starters on the outside. For the Cowboys, it’s the inverse. Tyler Booker, Cooper Beebe and Tyler Smith are terrific run blockers inside, but you worry about Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele keeping Dak Prescott upright. Foundationally, the Cowboys seem to have the better offense. Prescott has the edge over Darnold, their pass catchers are a level above and their interior offensive line makes up for a questionable running back rotation. 

Advantage: Dallas

Seattle defense vs. Dallas defense 

When you’re as bad as the Cowboys were defensively last year, you can’t possibly make the case that they are anywhere close in comparison to a respectable defense in the NFL, let alone one as good as the Seahawks. Sure, they make have comparable talent along the interior defensive line like Osa Odighizuwa and Quinnen Williams to compare to Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy. Still, Seattle attacks the edges much better than the Cowboys do. Dallas’ pass rush went radio silent at times last year, showing flashes of pressure, but it didn’t translate to sacks. Donovan Ezeiruaku was tasked with being a big part to fill a void left behind after the team traded Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, and he managed only two sacks. The back seven is where Seattle truly separates themselves over the Cowboys. 

Dallas’ veteran linebackers weren’t very good last year. Jack Sanborn was severely underwhelming when he came over from the Bears with Matt Eberflus, who has since been fired, and Kenneth Murray had a forgettable year in 2025. DeMarvion Overshown could be the best linebacker on either team in terms of talent but recovery from a knee injury didn’t have him looking like himself. Whereas Seattle has Ernest Jones, he has been an anchor in the middle of their defense and just was named an All-Pro this season. When you examine the secondary, it widens the gap even more. 

The Cowboys’ cornerback group is a rudderless ship. Who knows what version of DaRon Bland the Cowboys can expect after yet another surgery and can Shavon Revel rebound from a very trying rookie season? Meanwhile, Seattle has premier talent in Devon Witherspoon who is arguably among the best in the league. Riq Woolen is susceptible to mental errors, but you can’t deny his range as a man-to-man corner and his physicality at the line of scrimmage. Finally, the Cowboys don’t have a game-changer at safety. Donovan Wilson and Malik Hooker are average at this stage in their careers. Yet, rookie Nick Emmanwori has all the tools you ask of a safety. He can play near the line of scrimmage, he can play in man coverage, and has the ability to cover the deep half. He is brimming with star potential. 

Advantage: Seattle 

Final verdict

Collectively, is Seattle vastly better than the Cowboys? Yes. While you can make the argument that the Cowboys’ offense is slightly better than Seattle’s, the chasm between the Seahawks’ defense and Dallas is far too wide to argue otherwise. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel. New defensive coordinator Christian Parker specializes in developing secondary talent, and the Cowboys should be in the mix for defensive talents like cornerback Delane Mansoor and safety Caleb Downs, with two first-round picks. 

Sonny Styles is also a great prospect that would immediately give the Cowboys a dynamic force at linebacker to pair with Overshown. Are the Cowboys far behind the Seahawks and far from competing for a Super Bowl? For now, they are. That said, if they can add the right talent on defense, they could close the gap significantly in one offseason. Parker is building a great staff that can change everything for the Cowboys. Dallas has a great return specialist like the Seahawks do and the best kicker in football in Brandon Aubrey. All the Cowboys need is the defense to be somewhere near the top third of the NFL. With that, the Cowboys could be neck-and-neck with Seattle in terms of overall talent on paper and make for a competitive matchup when Seattle hosts the Cowboys during the regular season next year.