Before Denver, the Cowboys’ owner was already selling a long view on his first-year head coach. Jerry Jones said he sees “value in someone who’s never done it before,” praising Brian Schottenheimer’s hunger and “osmosis” from great staffs, even likening that edge to Jimmy Johnson’s early drive.
Jones doubled down after the Week 7 win over Washington, crediting Schottenheimer’s hands-on work with both sides of the ball while noting the defense had “no way to go but up” as Dallas entered Week 8 leading the NFL in yards allowed.
After the 44-24 loss in Denver, Schottenheimer wasn’t interested in a blame game. “When you look at it, I’m not just going to start with the defense,” he said. “I don’t think any of us coached and played well enough.” Asked if the unit needs outside help, he kept the focus internal: “At the end of the day, I think we have good enough players. I think we did not play well tonight.” All per ESPN.
That tone fit the owner’s pregame messaging: emphasize execution and coaching over splashy scapegoats. It also acknowledged the obvious: Dallas was outplayed across the board. Denver hit explosives, controlled leverage situations, and turned a close first half into a runaway.
Schottenheimer’s refusal to isolate one phase mirrored what players and staff echoed last week: complementary football is non-negotiable if Dallas wants staying power in November.
Of course, Jones still left a door open on personnel, just not because of one bad night. Post-Broncos, he said a potential addition would be judged “on the merits… next week or the weeks after [and the longer term],” adding that Sunday’s result “would not affect” a trade decision.
He wondered aloud if “one better player” could help while also saying the Cowboys are “more than that away” and closer to simply executing better on defense. That logic, as some around the league noted, helps explain why Dallas was comfortable trading away Micah Parsons rather than extending him, and why any move now must be priced right, not reactionary.
Big picture, Jones’ comparison invites scrutiny precisely when the schedule tightens. Schottenheimer’s stance after 44 against says the same thing in a different way: fix details, not blame. The next challenge for the Cowboys will be against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 9.
