There was a lot to like in the Dallas Cowboys' preseason opener. Undrafted receiver Camden Brown all but guaranteed a spot on the 53-man roster, and Joe Milton and Sam Howell both looked sharp and took care of the football under center.
There was also a lot not to like.
Even though it eventually settled in, the backup offensive line was nothing to write home about. The special teams also had an ugly showing, and Brian Schottenheimer pulled no punches about it during his media availability before Monday's practice (h/t Jon Machota, The Athletic).
“Yeah, not good enough," Schottenheimer said. "Addressed that today with the guys. It's not the standard. We know that, but it's also preseason Game 1.
"... Very, very disappointed in how we lost contain. Very disappointed in how we gave up kickside leverage. And the ball's supposed to be kept on your right shoulder? Keep it on your right shoulder. The ball's supposed to be on your left shoulder? Keep it on your left shoulder."
The Dallas Cowboys' special teams might be a problem again in 2026
B r u t a l.
Matt Eberflus' defense took most of the slings and arrows last season -- and rightfully so -- but Nick Sorensen's unit didn't do them any favors, frequently allowing long kickoff and punt returns. Oftentimes, opponents only needed one first down to get into field goal range. And Dallas handed out first downs like they were going out of style.
Sorensen's group was also a detriment to the offense. Often flagged for illegal blocks and holds on returns, Dak Prescott and Co. rarely started with strong field position.
Only the Tennessee Titans had more special teams penalties and ST penalty yardage than the Cowboys, who were penalized 32 times for 251 yards, per NFL Penalties.
According to Schotty, a long special teams meeting was held on Monday.
“And then we did a terrible job of communicating non-verbally on the coverage teams," Schottenheimer added. "‘Hey, I'm the ball player. I'm the outside player. I'm the capper.’ Didn't do a good enough job of that. So we had a long special teams meeting today. It's going to be a big part of our emphasis because it wasn't good enough.”
Now that Schottenheimer has a defensive coordinator he can trust, he can afford to spend more time elsewhere. By the time he became a regular in defensive meetings last season, it was too late. He's clearly trying to get ahead of the issue this year.
The Cowboys can't have special teams drag them down this season
It should be noted that most of the Cowboys' starters and key role players did not play.
However, Christian Parker faced the same disadvantage as Sorensen, and his unit was buttoned up. The communication was sound, and the defense only missed a couple of tackles. It didn't allow a point after conceding a touchdown on the opening drive, forcing multiple punts and turnovers on downs.
Very few Cowboys fans would have been upset if Sorensen lost his job after last season. It was somewhat surprising that he was retained.
It's clear that Schottenheimer's patience is at an all-time low. That's NOT to say he's pondering making a change, but he won't have any issue stepping on Sorensen's toes in special teams meetings if his unit doesn't clean it up.
Consider the message sent.
Add us as a preferred source on Google