Football returned to Lumen Field on Saturday afternoon as the Seattle Seahawks hosted the Dallas Cowboys in their first and only home preseason game, drawing fa
Football returned to Lumen Field on Saturday afternoon as the Seattle Seahawks hosted the Dallas Cowboys in their first and only home preseason game, drawing fans eager to be back in the stands in the land of the 12s.
It was the first organized competition for fans to take in since watching the Seahawks claim their second Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl 60 after beating the New England Patriots.
“I couldn’t wait for the comeback man. I have Amazon Prime, I watch all the old school games, I got the NFL Network,” said Mike Ruffin of Puyallup, who attended Saturday’s game with his wife.
Seattle briefly gave fans something to cheer about early, leading 7-3 after a first-quarter touchdown pass from Drew Lock.
“I'm excited to see what these rookies and the people that we've signed bring to the table; it's great to see new faces on that field and what's in store for the season,” said Josh Nelson, who came with his two brothers.
Fans traveled from across the region, including the Nelson brothers from Renton, along with others from Puyallup, Tacoma and Port Orchard.
“It’s been really exciting seeing what the crew and Mike Macdonald have been doing. I really respect the guy; I love the culture he’s instilled,” said Alan Kress, who wore face paint and a custom jersey while attending with his young son. Kress said he recently moved from Alaska to Puyallup.
Some fans also pointed to HBO’s Hard Knocks for its behind-the-scenes look at the team this preseason. Episode 3 airs Tuesday, Aug. 18 at 9 p.m.
Saturday’s matchup also included at least one divided household in the stands.
“My husband is a Cowboys fan, so we're not about 'Dem Boys', we're all about the Hawks,” said Holly Millington.
Her husband, Brian, responded: “I'm the one that's going to balance everything out after we get that win today,” he said with a laugh.
Dallas ultimately won 17-7, but fans said their optimism remains high heading into the regular season. Seattle opens the season Sept. 9 at Lumen Field against the Patriots.
“I see a repeat, I see a repeat, everyone talks about the Rams, and Myles Garrett, it’s like Coach [Macdonald] said, we do not care, and we still don’t care,” Ruffin said. “You got to beat us; we don’t have to beat you, you have to beat us,” he added.
“I'm looking forward to beating San Francisco, and the Rams, and Christmas Day, I'm looking forward to that,” said Melissa King of Tacoma, who carried a tote bag she said she bought at the Super Bowl in February.
Millington said she expects another season of strong support from Seahawks fans.
“I think that we're going to continue to see wins, and that's what I'm excited about: the collaboration, the energy, and it's all about Seattle coming together and supporting our team, the 12s,” she said.
