The Dallas Cowboys losing at home to the Arizona Cardinals was bad enough, but blowing a multi-score lead in the second half with Gardner Minshew under center might have been the nail in the coffin for Brian Schottenheimer's stint as head coach, regardless of how this season finishes up.
Schottenheimer has now whiffed on two defensive coordinator hires, overseen an offensive regression, and constantly played down to opponents. With Jerry Jones having made a batch of win-now moves, it's hard to imagine that the owner will tolerate much more of this.
With Schottenheimer's seat firmly hot and every loss serving only to make that seat hotter, any one of these seven possible replacements could be the ideal leading man to take control of Dallas in the post-Schotty era.
7 Brian Schottenheimer replacements after Cowboys' unacceptable loss to Cardinals
7. Klayton Adams, OC, Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys likely won't go the internal route again, but Adams has been perhaps the best hiring decision Schottenheimer has made. Adams' offense has consistently been worth watching, and he should be given tons of credit for improving the offensive line and running game. Will that be enough to keep him employed or warrant a promotion?
6. Dan Quinn, HC, Washington Commanders
Would fans be thrilled with this hire? Likely not. Could it give the Cowboys the floor they need? Possibly. The notoriously loyal Jones may want to reunite with the last defensive coordinator who had this unit truly cooking in the name of finding consistency on that side of the ball. Quinn got to an NFC Championship game with a rookie Jayden Daniels, and subsequent injuries to No. 5 have hurt him.
5. Pete Carmichael, OC, Buffalo Bills
Carmichael has been in the NFL for over 20 years, with more than half of the last two decades being spent as an offensive coordinator with the New Orleans Saints. Currently helping Joe Brady in Buffalo, Carmichael has put in years of impressive work, even without calling plays. Perhaps a head coach gig could be calling.
4. Kliff Kingsbury, AHC, Los Angeles Rams
Kingsbury never won a playoff game during his four years in charge of the Cardinals, but he would give Dak Prescott and the passing game a floor that could be fairly appealing. Perhaps studying at the feet of Sean McVay might give him the knowledge he needs to fix the Cowboys.
3. Klay Kubiak, OC, San Francisco 49ers
After his dad Gary won a Super Bowl and his brother Klint has the Las Vegas Raiders off to a strong start following his championship-winning stint in Seattle, Klay might be an in-demand candidate. While he doesn't call plays for Kyle Shanahan, the Cowboys may try to grab him as an approximation of what Shanahan brings to the table. Mike LaFleur has been just fine, as Dallas saw on Sunday.
2. Brian Flores, DC, Minnesota Vikings
Even in a league moving more toward hiring offensive coaches, Flores' Vikings defense has been so crazed and effective that it seems as though he may be the top available candidate in this cycle. A Cowboys team that needs defensive creativity more than anything would be silly not to consider him.
1. Mike Tomlin, former HC, Pittsburgh Steelers
Jones likes to swing big, the Cowboys need defensive help, and the challenge of turning a team like the Cowboys around might be one of the few pulls that could coax Tomlin back into coaching. While Bill Parcells didn't deliver much playoff success, he won a ton with limited quarterback play. Giving Tomlin a player like Prescott could lead to some returns to competency.
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