Even though the Dallas Cowboys fell to the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night, it's hard not to feel bullish about Brian Schottenheimer as a head coach and play-caller. On top of calling a brilliant game, Schottenheimer had the Cowboys ready to play; they played physical and took the fight to the defending champs.
While that is by far the biggest positive from the loss, Schottenheimer passed his first test before kickoff when Mazi Smith was listed as a healthy scratch. It was a surprising call given fellow defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey was ruled out with a back injury, but Schottenheimer preferred rookie seventh-round pick Jay Toia to the former first-rounder out of Michigan.
Schottenheimer was asked about benching Smith after the game and he reiterated what he preached all offseason about players having to earn their role.
Cowboys' Brian Schottenheimer got brutally honest about benching Mazi Smith
"I had a great conversation with Mazi, just about the consistency," Schottenheimer said, via The Athletic's Jon Machota. "Mazi is going to play a lot of really good football. He’s not even begun to reach his peak. But the consistency has not been there and therefore, if your philosophy is compete every day, then that’s what you have to do, make those decisions."
Credit to Schottenheimer for lifting Smith up a little before getting brutally honest about his performance. The first-time head coach is already a professional behind the mic, but it's hard to sugarcoat Smith's development, or lack thereof.
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There was a groundswell of buzz during roster cuts that Smith wouldn’t make the 53. The Cowboys’ flimsy DT room (before Kenny Clark arrived) likely helped Smith sneak onto the roster, but that didn’t guarantee he’d start - or even see the field. They simply didn't have the flexibility to cut him.
That Winfrey didn't suit up and Smith still couldn't get on the field shows how lucky he was to make the team. Toia didn't set the world on fire on Thursday, so Smith could very well enter the picture next Sunday against the Giants, but that is no guarantee.
The third-year pro is a poor fit in Matt Eberflus' scheme and the Cowboys got really solid play from Osa Odighizuwa, Kenny Clark and Solomon Thomas against the Eagles. If Schottenheimer keeps enforcing his "show me" philosophy, Winfrey has showed more than Smith and Toia. If he's healthy enough to play next week, he absolutely deserves the fourth spot in the rotation.
Schottenheimer tried to downplay the decision to bench Smith, but the lack of trust from the coaching staff is obvious. Smith likely won’t see the field anytime soon, and that might be for the best.