In all of the commotion surrounding what’s wrong with the Seahawks, there’s one thing certain: these are aren’t the same super-bowl-bided Seahawks we’ve come to know over the past two seasons.

After dropping a heartbreaking loss to “Killer” Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers in Week 6 at home, there has been no shortage of opinions as to what is going on with the Seahawks. Of all the lingering issues that fans immediately noticed about the team, one cuts deeper than the rest; fourth quarter collapses. The Seahawks have blown a fourth-quarter lead in all four of their losses and their minus-28 point differential in the fourth quarter currently ranks second-worst in the NFL.

Of all the painful blunders fans have had to reflect upon so far this season, Week 6’s game closing drive by the Partners, topped off by a 26-yard game-winning touchdown to tight end Greg Olsen with 32 seconds left, pushed the fans to their limit. The reason Greg Olsen went untouched en route to the game winning score was that the Seahawks were set up in two different coverage’s on that final defensive stance. Richard Sherman and one half of the defense were in cover 2, while Earl Thomas and the remaining half were in cover 3. The miscommunication on the call allowed Olsen to run free down the seam. After Olsen and the Panthers began their triumphant celebration, Sherman and Thomas looked at each other in disbelief, wondering how the Seahawks had let another fourth quarter lead slip out of their hands and managed to drop another game.

In a time of severe panic for Seahawks fans, it was their “old friend” the San Francisco 49ers who offered the Hawks an essential chance to right their wrongs and begin a turnaround. On the Thursday Night Stage at Levi’s Stadium, the Seahawks channeled their hatred for their division rivals and emerged victorious with a Seahawks “blowout” of old, something that fans had become far separated from over the previous weeks. The Seahawks defense returned to their dominant form, shutting the 49ers out through the first half of play and only allowing one field goal on the night. Easily the most satisfying aspect of the win for the fans was that fact the Seahawks not only managed to hold on to their third quarter lead, but didn’t even allow the 49ers to score in the fourth.

Last Thursday’s win proved to be an essential step in the right direction for the Seahawks, but fans can’t help but wonder if these changes for the better will remain in tact going forward, or if they were merely a fluke against a sub-par team.

Today’s matchup against returning Pro-Bowl wide receiver Dez Bryant and the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium will certainly provide the long awaited answer to that question. A win today for the Seahawks would allow them to head into their bye week with a .500 record, leading into a three game home stand. One thing is for certain heading into the matchup, any implications of a “turnaround” for the team will be  backed up by today’s play. Tune in to the NFL on FOX today at 1:00 to witness an inevitable season-changing game for the Seahawks.