It’s still too early to get over the top about the Dallas Cowboys in 2025, even with Dak Prescott on a heater. And Prescott’s work has spoiled his head coach. But Brian Schottenheimer is the reason why the Cowboys are poised to shatter their 2025 expectations.
A lot of people are fawning over how the Cowboys went into New York and ran over the Jets despite numerous injury problems. Yes, that’s a feather in Schottenheimer’s cap. But the real excitement for Cowboys fans lies in the fact that he is proving to be a very capable NFL coach.
And maybe he could be more than that.
Cowboys might have a gem in HC Brian Schottenheimer
Yes, owner Jerry Jones will get to say, “I told you so,” if this season goes as it could. Jones claimed he took a big gamble in hiring Schottenheimer. But did he really?
Schottenheimer had 14 years of experience as an offensive coordinator with the Jets, Rams, Seahawks, and Cowboys. It’s not like he came in as a fly-by-night guy.
But let’s look at the real-world evidence as to why Schottenheimer is succeeding. We’ll take it point by point.
No. 1 — Schottenheimer’s Cowboys look disciplined on the field. It’s a big contrast to the days of Mike McCarthy, where the Cowboys were very good but made far too many critical mistakes that showed a lack of discipline. The Cowboys simply had no real chance of reaching the Super Bowl under McCarthy.
No. 2 — The Cowboys can run the football, far better than anyone expected. They rank No. 8 in the NFL with 134.4 yards rushing per game. That’s a crazy turnaround from a team that finished No. 27 with 100.3 yards per contest in 2024.
And they’ve done it with running back Javonte Williams rediscovering his prowess. Who expected Williams to have 447 yards rushing through five games while averaging 5.7 per carry? That’s on pace for 1,520 yards for a guy who doesn't have a 1,000-yard season under his NFL belt.
Putting it in further perspective, Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith had only three 1,500-yard seasons. Ezekiel Elliott had one, and that was his rookie year.
Also, Williams has accomplished this great start despite a banged-up offensive line. Credit? Schottenmeimer’s commitment to running the football.
No. 3 — In two games without CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys have scored 77 points. And one of those games was against Micah Parsons and the Packers’ vaunted defense. Wait. What?
There’s no way to sugarcoat those performances except to say Schottenheimer can devise good game plans even in the face of injuries. If McCarthy was still coaching the Cowboys — and this is inherently unfair, but still — they probably wouldn’t have scored half of those points. Given the free rein as head coach, Schottenheimer has proven his chops. Already.
Prescott said he sees the Cowboys working well through the problems, which points to Schottenheimer and the front office, according to dallasnews.com.
“There’s not many teams in the league that can put four guys who don’t start into the game and feel confident about going and winning a game, especially on the road against one of the most premier interior defensive linemen (Quinnen Williams) and some good rushers as well,” Prescott said. “So, credit from the front office of getting these guys, but just as important, these guys don’t see themselves as backups, as they shouldn’t.”
No. 4 — Schottenheimer didn’t bury his head in the sand when the Cowboys traded Parsons. And when the Cowboys looked abysmal in their first few games on defense, he didn't whine. He basically went back to the drawing board.
Now, through five games, which NFL team ranks No. 1 in quarterback hurries? If you guessed the Cowboys, you get a cookie. They have 29, EIGHT MORE than the Denver Broncos, according to Fox Sports.
Now, granted, hurries aren’t everything. You can hurry a quarterback all you want, and he can still chuck a 60-yard pass down the field for a score. But this is a unit that no longer has Parsons, so any pressure is good pressure.
The players have bought into Brian Schottenheimer
The bottom line for a head coach is whether his players believe in his approach. It’s extremely important in the NFL, which is full of egos and millionaires.
And quarterback Dak Prescott is right in line with following Schottenheimer’s lead. Prescott gave high praise for Schottenheimer’s work against the Jets.
“It’s just taking accountability and then, he called the touchdown to GP,” Prescott said. “Then goes, “Hey, I’m back in my bag.” And I go, “Yeah, you are.” Just incredible the way he approaches this game each and every day. And when you get to Sundays or whatever the game day is, he talks about playing free and playing coaching and being loose, and he’s the epitome of that. If you want to see somebody who’s enjoying the moment, it’s Schotty.”
But where do the Cowboys go from here?
At 2-2-1, the Cowboys are in the middle of the pack. But check out the schedule. They play at the Panthers before returning home to face the Commanders. The Cowboys should handle the Panthers, no problem.
And Prescott always plays well against the Commanders. He’s 11-2 against them, and there’s little reason to believe he won’t make it 12-2 with a home win. Then the Cowboys get the Cardinals and the Raiders. That’s two more wins and a 6-2-1 record.
The schedule gets tougher down the stretch, but if they could finish 10-6-1, a playoff berth is within reach.
