One of the hardest things about the Dallas Cowboys' failures, whether it's the single-game collapses like Sunday's loss to the Baltimore Ravens or disappointing seasons, is that they're getting repetitive. If you've been here a while, you've seen just about every kind of loss and reason for them.
The familiarity adds to the frustration, and Brian Schottenheimer, for better or worse, is reminding us more and more of former Dallas head coach Jason Garrett. We see things that we liked about Jason, but more importantly, we're seeing the things that led to his dismissal and could keep the Cowboys spinning their wheels under the current regime.
There was plenty to like about Garrett, and now Schottenheimer
One of the first things you liked about Schotty was his approach with the media. He's eloquent and, perhaps even more than Garrett ever did, opens up about his real thoughts and feelings. You get a sense of the same man that the players see in the locker room, and that draws you in as a fan.
When you see clips of post-game celebrations, Garrett and Schottenheimer both seem like the same guy who addresses the media a few minutes later.
Both seem to be genuinely good men who care about their players personally and instill a familial quality on the team. Both care about how the game is played and the ethics of sportsmanship, not just X's and O's. They believe in the power of camaraderie and do their part to foster that environment.
When we were praising Schottenheimer for the way that the Cowboys' front office was "moving different" this past offseason, some of us knew that we'd heard that before.
Garrett got the same praise when the Cowboys started investing heavily in their offensive line with the Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick, and Zack Martin picks, or when we got away from Pacmans and Tank Johnsons of the world and started focusing more on character in player acquisition.
While people love to rag on Garrett for the 8-8 seasons that started his tenure or the general lack of postseason success, he had his high points, too. The 2014 team, whose season ended with the infamous "Dez caught it" game in Green Bay, had gone 12-4 and was built to win it all. The 2016 team, which went 13-3 with a rookie Dak Prescott leading the way, earned Garrett the Coach of the Year award.
Garrett's players played hard. That "run through the wall for him" feeling was there for most of his run. They had a strong locker room, especially once Prescott's leadership came into the mix.
Of course, Schottenheimer hasn't had much time to put good things on his resume. That's part of why Sunday's flop is so tough to digest: many are still deciding how we feel about Dallas' current head coach and if he's a keeper.
Garrett's weaknesses are also repeating in Schottenheimer
Make no mistake, Jerry Jones wanted Jason Garrett to be a keeper. He wishes Jason were still here. A former Cowboys player, the son of a longtime scout and a favorite son of the franchise, Garrett was Jones' handpicked successor to the coaching throne. When Jerry hired Schottenheimer as head coach, the ways Brian reminded him of Garrett were certainly part of the decision.
Unfortunately, the similarities don't stop with the good. We're seeing some of the same strategic flaws in Schottenheimer, particularly in clutch moments, that kept Garrett from getting the Cowboys back to glory. The team's ongoing mental mistakes, lack of discipline, penalties, and game-killing gaffes are painfully familiar.
Sure, it was Christian Parker's defense that gave up that 27-yard pass to set up Baltimore's last field goal. But focus, game awareness, staying in the moment -- those are head-coaching things. These speak more to the personality of your roster than anything, and falling short in those areas falls on Schottenheimer.
Garrett's Cowboys teams were plenty good at bullying the NFC East and overwhelming lesser opponents with talent. And they even had a few big upsets at times. But far too often, when facing superior or even equitable talent on the field, the coaching didn't push things forward.
Last Sunday, the Cowboys were the underdogs in Brazil. And Parker's crew did its part, even with all the injuries, to help Dallas pull off the upset. But it was Schotty's offense that couldn't close the deal near the goal line, making a game-winning field goal even possible.
One thing that probably won't be similar between Brian Schottenheimer and Jason Garrett is the amount of rope that Jerry Jones gives his current coach. Schotty doesn't have all the personal history or connection with the front office that helped Garrett survive for about a decade.
Jerry's been vocal about his desperation to win another title while he can still enjoy it, which puts Schottenheimer on much thinner ice.
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