It's not a secret that the Dallas Cowboys have to do some serious soul-searching after a horrendous day against the Denver Broncos. Brian Schottheimer, who had been having a great debut season as a head coach up until Sunday, needs to look himself in the mirror.
One specific gaffe from Schottenheimer sticks out. With the ball trailing by 13 in the third quarter, Schottenheimer elected to punt the ball on 4th-and-5. The defense couldn't stop a nosebleed, so it made all the sense in the world to leave the offense on the field to try to cut into the deficit.
Instead, it led to the Broncos easily going down the field for another touchdown, making it a 20-point game. There have been far more egregious coaching mistakes in the NFL this season, but going for it would've at least put the ball into the hands of Dak Prescott instead of the defense.
Cowboys elect to punt on fourth down while trailing by 13 in the second half
Dallas
Again
You cannot punt here
You 100% have to go for this
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) October 26, 2025
Is it fair to say that the Broncos still would've steamrolled the Cowboys? Absolutely. The point is to have some fight in the game when things haven't gone your way. Most of the rankings out there have the Cowboys as the best offense in the NFL, so why not trust them?
On fourth down and medium? Not even trying to get the first down? Schottenheimer has to have a better feel for the game. You have a better chance at doing something with your juggernaut offense staying out there compared to putting the worst defense back out on the field.
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Given the circumstances, you cannot punt in that situation at all. Yes, Prescott arguably had his worst game of the season, throwing two interceptions on the day after going four straight games without throwing a pick. You still have to put your team in a position to put up points.
Eberflus' defense was another story, and while fans will criticize his coaching again, it's also fair to say that his secondary was very, very thin against Denver. It's also not surprising to see this kind of performance from the defense, as it's been the same old story all season long.
It was more surprising to see Schottenheimer not put up as much of a fight as he could've, and he knows all too well that everybody needs to make major corrections before they take on the Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football in Week 9.