Brian Schottenheimer began his tenure as Dallas Cowboys head coach with a 24-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. However, that didn't deter his belief in the Cowboys' ability to go on a deep playoff run.
Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb dropped a trio of passes, including a pair of crucial targets in the fourth quarter. But outside of a singular disappointment, the Cowboys were completely shut out in the second half. It certainly wasn't the cleanest debut Schottenheimer was hoping for.
Still, he has plenty of positives in Dallas' performances. He still believes in the Cowboys roster. Despite suffering a loss in Week 1, Schottenheimer even thinks the franchise has what it takes to compete for a Super Bowl, via Jon Machota of The Athletic.
“I still think we can win a Super Bowl. That's the goal. That's not going to change,” Schottenheimer said. “I mean, we've got the right type of guys. We got good players.”
“You saw what we're capable of in the first half offensively. You saw what we're capable of in the second half defensively. We've just got to put the game together in a more complimentary fashion because that's what we're capable of.”
Cowboys begin Brian Schottenheimer era
The Schottenheimer era started off with a bang, as running back Javonte Williams found the end zone on their season-opening six play, 53-yard drive. Dallas managed to match touchdowns with Philadelphia throughout the first half, taking a 21-20 deficit into halftime.
The only points scored in the second half were on a 58-yard field goal by Eagles kicker Jake Elliot. While the Cowboys did see their defense come to life, their offense wasn't able to match. Still, Schottenheimer has plenty of film to analyze heading into Week 2.
Throughout his first campaign as head coach, he'll have to navigate some major changes to both sides of the ball. The Cowboys' trade of Micah Parsons shocked the NFL world. Schottenheimer and company will need to find a way to replace his production weekly, which will be extremely difficult. Offensively, the Cowboys acquired George Pickens in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers. His debut with Dallas was a bit lackluster though, as he caught three passes for 30 yards. How Schottenheimer continues to adjust his roster will be crucial for the Cowboys to bounce back.
Playing in the NFC East, it'll be a difficult run for any team to make the Super Bowl. It's a long season, but a divisional loss always makes it even harder. Still, Schottenheimer believes in the Cowboys. He is ready to regroup and get Dallas back on a winning track come Week 2.
