RENTON, Wash. — The Seattle Seahawks’ season just got a lot more interesting, though not in the way anyone with the team really intended.

A squad that was on a good track to make a run at a Super Bowl repeat was thrown off course Sunday with a 30-23 home loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

More disconcerting than the loss itself was the manner in which it happened. Seattle was dominated throughout, with the Cowboys outgaining the Seahawks 401 yards to 206, including 162-80 on the ground.

“They played really well and they did a lot of cool stuff for their football team in all phases, and we were not right, really, in any phase of our game today,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. “We didn’t run the ball the way we want to, we didn’t protect as well as we like, we didn’t throw the ball very well, and on defense we didn’t stop the run, and they were 10 out of 17 on third down.”

That pretty much sums it up.

Seattle enjoyed some success running but got away from the ground game after falling behind at halftime. Running back Marshawn Lynch finished with just 10 carries for 61 yards.

Quarterback Russell Wilson, meanwhile, had one of his poorest days as a Seahawk, going 14-for-28 for 126 yards. His 47.6 passer rating was the third lowest of his career and his worst since midway through his rookie season in 2012.

“I could have played a lot better,” Wilson said. “I didn’t play my best game. I was a little off on some throws that I’m normally not. I felt just a little bit off, here and there, maybe an inch or two to the right or the left. Other than that, I think that’s what it comes down to. I know I can complete those balls, I know that I will, and I know that I’ll get it fixed.”

Defensively, Seattle kept Dallas running back DeMarco Murray in check for much of the game until he ripped off runs of 25 and 15 on a drive that put the Cowboys ahead for good in the final minutes. Those caries followed a miraculous third-and-20 completion from quarterback Tony Romo to wide receiver Terrance Williams that was the turning point of the game.

Seattle lost at home for the second time since 2011. The Seahawks (3-2) suddenly are looking up at the Arizona Cardinals (4-1) in the NFC West.

The loss also left Seattle feeling uncommon frustration for a team that had a pretty smooth path to a Super Bowl title in 2013.

Wilson, though, said it was just a bump in the road.

“I think everybody was a little frustrated,” he said. “It’s not just one guy or two guys or three guys or whatever. We’re so competitive and we all want to win. When things aren’t going the way that you practice them all the time, or the way that you’re used to or the way that you expect, sometimes you get a little frustrated.

“I felt like I let some people down, or whatever, so you just have to keep moving, keep moving forward. I think that as a team, the collective effort, in terms of leadership, that’s when leadership shows up, when there’s some adversity. I think that’s what we’ll have to do for this week coming up, and get excited about that rather than shy away from it.”

Seattle will try to get back on the winning track Sunday at St. Louis against the Rams.

NOTES: CB Byron Maxwell sustained a calf strain and not a high ankle sprain, as initially feared, in Sunday’s game against Dallas. Maxwell may be out only a week or two instead of a more extended period. … The news is worse for middle LB Bobby Wagner, who has a case of turf toe. He finished the game against Dallas, but coach Pete Carroll said Wagner is “banged up” and didn’t rule out that Wagner could miss some games. … LT Russell Okung continues to play with a sore left shoulder. …

C Max Unger remains day-to-day after missing the Dallas game with a foot injury. … CB Tharold Simon (preseason knee surgery) may return this week to offer some depth to the secondary.

REPORT CARD VS. COWBOYS

–PASSING OFFENSE: D — Simply put, it was one of the worst days of the Russell Wilson era. The quarterback finished 14-for-28 for 126 yards — 53 coming on a pass to WR Jermaine Kearse on the first series of the game. It was hardly all Wilson’s fault, as he was pressured quite a bit and receivers had trouble getting open downfield. Seattle also struggled to get much out of WR Percy Harvin, who had 0 yards on three short receptions. And it came against a Dallas defense that could hardly be confused as one of the best in the NFL. It was the kind of day that made one wonder how much the Seahawks might be missing Golden Tate, who made as many game-breaking plays as any Seattle receiver a year ago.

–RUSHING OFFENSE: C — Seattle didn’t necessarily run the ball all that poorly — 80 yards on 18 attempts for an average of 4.4. But the Seahawks didn’t run it all that much, and 32 yards came on one Marshawn Lynch carry in the third quarter. Seattle tried early to establish some runs with Harvin, but those didn’t work — he had minus-1 yard on three attempts — which helped lead to Lynch getting just two carries in the first half. Seattle then faced a lot of third-and-longs that made it hard to run Lynch as well. Dallas also completely negated Wilson’s running other than a 9-yard touchdown scramble in the third quarter.

–PASS DEFENSE: C-minus — Seattle is beat up in the secondary, and it showed against the Cowboys. Starting CB Byron Maxwell was lost to a calf strain late in the second quarter, forcing the Seahawks to shuffle some things. Notably, CB Richard Sherman at that point began moving to cover Cowboys WR Dez Bryant everywhere, and Marcus Burley — acquired in a trade the week before the first game and used solely at nickel back — then had to fill in for Maxwell, with Steven Terrell at nickel. For Terrell, it was his first NFL game. That led to some predictable struggles, as Cowboys QB Tony Romo completed 21 of 32 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. It didn’t help that the pass rush was fairly anemic, with Romo sacked just once. On a key third-and-20 play, Romo escaped the rush to complete a 23-yard pass that led to Dallas’ go-ahead touchdown.

–RUSH DEFENSE: C — Seattle came into the game with the best run defense in the NFL, allowing 62 yards per game. But Dallas, one of the best running teams in the league, had the upper hand with 162 yards on 37 carries, including 115 yards by DeMarco Murray. The star running back gained 40 yards on two carries that led to the final touchdown. Seattle took some solace that until the final minutes, it held him down pretty well. However, Dallas got the rushing yards it needed, and Seattle also didn’t shut it down enough to make the Cowboys one-dimensional. Seattle missed a few more tackles than usual, and safeties Kam Chancellor (who seemed slowed by a hip injury) and Earl Thomas were not at the top of their games.

–SPECIAL TEAMS: A — This area was the lone highlight of the day for Seattle. A blocked punt was returned for a touchdown and a fumbled punt by Dallas led to another. Seattle also covered well and got a 46-yard kickoff return from Percy Harvin as well as perfect 3-for-3 day from PK Steven Hauschka.

–COACHING: C — Seattle had to play a good team on a short week after a long flight back from Washington, so the Seahawks knew this game would be a challenge. However, readiness didn’t appear to be an issue, as Seattle jumped out to a 10-0 lead before the Cowboys began to establish control at the line of scrimmage, even if it took a while to change things on the scoreboard. The main questions arising from this one involve the usage of Harvin and Lynch. Seattle has to get more than 10 carries from Lynch, and it has to get more than minus-one yards of offense from Harvin. The offense was a little rudderless against the Cowboys, and with the defense struggling with some injuries and new faces, Seattle has to get re-focused quickly.