ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Seattle Seahawks are still alive for a playoff berth. They have their defense to thank for that.

A week after the most lopsided loss of the Pete Carroll era, the Seahawks looked more like the Seahawks on Sunday. They struggled on offense in the first half -- producing 44 net yards through two quarters -- but forced three turnovers on defense to pull away for a 21-12 win over the Dallas Cowboys in what was an elimination game for both teams.

All hope seemed lost for the Seahawks after they were hammered 42-7 last week by the Rams. The Seahawks needed to win out and get some help in order to make the playoffs for the sixth straight season, and taking care of their half of that equation by no means seemed like a given, considering how poorly they had played against Los Angeles.

But sneaking into the playoffs suddenly looks a lot more possible after their victory over Dallas.

"We're all really proud of that win," Carroll said. "Based on coming back from last week and not liking what happened, there weren't very many people who thought we had a chance to play like that, so it was a really good football game."

What it means: Seattle's path to the playoffs got much simpler. The Rams clinched the NFC West with a win over Tennessee on Sunday, so Seattle can only make it as a wild-card team. The Seahawks still need to beat Arizona next week at CenturyLink Field and also need Carolina to beat the Falcons in Atlanta. The Seahawks might be headed toward an eventful offseason that includes a significant roster overhaul, but that conversation can wait at least another week.

What I liked: The way this game was going for the Seahawks on offense, it felt like they needed a big play or two on defense to have any chance of winning. So they got three. Byron Maxwell channeled his 2013 self and punched the ball out of Dez Bryant's hands, forcing a fumble that K.J. Wright recovered. That set up the Seahawks' first touchdown, just before halftime.

Justin Coleman gave the Seahawks another lead in the third quarter, when he picked off an overthrown dump-off pass by Dak Prescott and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown.

Wright then came down with an interception on a tipped pass. The Seahawks took a 21-12 lead on their ensuing possession when Russell Wilson hit Doug Baldwin for a 6-yard touchdown.

It was a nice bounce-back performance from a defense whose pride took a hit last week against the Rams.

What I didn't like: Not that it should be at all surprising at this point in the season, but the Seahawks still can't run the ball. Mike Davis finished with 25 yards on 15 carries and needed to make a few nifty plays just to avoid would-be tacklers who had penetrated the backfield without much resistance. It's one thing to be a bad running team. Seattle is a bad running team that sometimes sticks with the run in key situations, which hurt the Seahawks a few times on Sunday. They finished with 76 yards rushing and only 136 yards overall. That's their fewest net yards since 2013 against the Rams, a game they also won. The Seahawks lost 142 yards on 11 accepted penalties. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, Seattle became the first team since the Eagles in 1966 to win a game with more penalty yards than offensive yards.

Fantasy fallout: Jimmy Graham gave the Seahawks their first points with a 3-yard touchdown reception before halftime. That was his only catch of the game, which mirrors how his season has gone, to some degree. Graham leads all NFL tight ends with 10 touchdowns but is on pace to finish with fewer receptions and receiving yards than last season.

Coleman comes through again: The Seahawks' preseason acquisition of Coleman has been huge. They picked him up from New England for a seventh-round pick. He has capably manned the slot as Seattle's third cornerback, which essentially makes him a starter, given how often the Seahawks' defense is in the nickel. His pick-six on Sunday was his second of the season. He also had one in Week 4 against Indianapolis. "He's just a really good nickel cover guy," Carroll said. "Terrific skills and timing, competitiveness. He was battling against some really good guys today and held up really well."

What's next: The Seahawks return home to face the Cardinals, who are 7-8 and will have nothing other than pride on the line against Seattle. The Seahawks won the season's first meeting 22-16 in Glendale, Arizona.