On Thursday, I opened up my computer and defended Brian Schottenheimer for comments he made about George Pickens' blocking.
The Cowboys' head coach said what needed to be said. Pickens' effort against the Packers was noticeably lacking on the TV copy, and the film confirmed everyone's suspicions. It was refreshing to hear Schottenheimer offering something beyond the usual coachspeak.
I should have known better. Less than 24 hours later, Schottenheimer went on 105.3 The Fan and dug himself a deeper hole. Here's his full answer about the state of the offense amid its recent regression:
"I have incredible confidence in our offense. We have not played well the last two weeks. We understand a lot of the reasons why. I've addressed a lot of the reasons why.
But we haven't changed who we are. We're still a good, explosive offense with weapons. We can hurt you a lot of different ways. Certainly, (I) have not lost the ability to call plays. I'm an elite play-caller in this league, and I think that can turn around quickly."
How can any Cowboys fan read that and not think the wheels are falling off?
Brian Schottenheimer is making things so much worse by promoting himself
Part of me wants to sympathize with Schottenheimer. He's clearly feeling the pressure. If this gig doesn't work out, it's hard to envision him getting another head coaching job.
But that doesn't mean he has to campaign for himself at every media appearance. That's ridiculous. Calling yourself an elite play-caller isn't confidence. It's self-promotion, and Schottenheimer's offense isn't giving him the evidence to back it up.
An elite play-caller wouldn't feel compelled to say this. A head coach who senses the season slipping away because his offense has become part of the problem? That's someone trying to convince everyone that he still has the answers.
No one in their right mind would consider Schottenheimer an elite play-caller. The Cowboys wouldn't be in this position if that were the case. Kyle Shanahan. Ben Johnson. Andy Reid. Sean McVay. Sean Payton. Combined, their teams are 17-6. Schottenheimer does not deserve a seat at that table. The hot seat table? That's a different story.
I want to believe in Schottenheimer. He's likable. He's (normally) very insightful at the podium. And it was impossible not to appreciate how much he reinvented the offense last season.
The Cowboys went from one of the most static offenses in the NFL under Mike McCarthy to one that consistently used motion and misdirection to create advantages before the snap. They finished top 13th in motion rate, top 10 in play-action rate and were among the top teams in under-center rate.
With all 11 starters returning -- an extreme rarity in this league -- it was only natural to expect the offense to build on that foundation.
An 'elite play-caller' wouldn't feel the need to call themselves an 'elite play-caller'
That has not materialized, largely because Schottenheimer has gotten away from what made the offense so successful last year. They are static again, ranking last in motion rate and in the bottom third of the league in play-action rate (20th) and under-center rate (28th).
These are the easiest buttons an offensive play-caller can push. And Schottenheimer is treating them like the nuclear codes.
If I have access to this data, so do the Cowboys. A competent play-caller would recognize that the answers are right in front of him.
An "elite play-caller" wouldn't wait until the season is on the verge of being over before November to start looking for answers that have been hiding in plain sight.
An "elite play-caller" wouldn't be caught flat-footed by Todd Bowles dialing up pressure. Blitzing has been a defining feature of Bowles' defenses for over a decade.
An "elite play-caller" certainly wouldn't watch his offense get dismantled by the blitz one week and come back with zero solutions the next.
And an "elite play-caller" wouldn't let a manageable deficit convince him to abandon the run and ask his quarterback to drop back 54 times.
On Thursday, I opened my computer ready to defend Brian Schottenheimer. By Friday evening, I was back to pulling my hair out. That's a perfect synopsis of the 2026 Cowboys. Every time they give you something to nod your head in agreement with, they offer an equally draining reason to question everything.
Schottenheimer wants everyone to believe he's an "elite play-caller." He shouldn't have to tell us. It's time for his offense to do it for him.
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