Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer
Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Brian Schottenheimer found himself in the crosshairs leading up to Monday night's game in Philadelphia, and for good reason. His offense had hit a wall in two straight games, both losses, largely due to questionable game plans and an overall lack of creativity.
The Cowboys' head coach answered the bell against the Eagles, as the offense exploded for 38 points in what ended up being a convincing win.
Schottenheimer's most impressive moment, though, arguably occurred after the game. Multiple Cowboys reporters noted that Schottenheimer's answers were shorter than usual.
In fact, Jon Machota of The Athletic said the entire presser lasted four minutes. Schottenheimer is usually at the podium for 10 minutes. It prompted someone to ask Schottenheimer if he was feeling alright, to which he said, "I’m great. Excited for our guys *,*” and walked back to the locker room.
Where has this version of Schottenheimer been?!
Brian Schottenheimer finally said less after Cowboys' win, and it spoke volumes
Schottenheimer has gotten himself into trouble over the past week by saying too much, calling himself a "great head coach" and an "elite play-caller" in separate interviews, and saying that he has the shoulders to withstand all the slings and arrows being hurled in his direction.
Those comments came off as defensive, like a coach feeling the weight of a two-game skid and trying to convince everyone that he had the answers.
You'd much rather have a head coach who believes in himself than one who doesn't, but Schottenheimer seemed completely oblivious to the value of saying less when his team was struggling.
Nothing he could say, whether about his play-calling ability or his tolerance for criticism, was going to move the needle. Every comment was bound to be dissected and stripped of context. No matter the sport, that is the reality when a team is floundering. The head coach is in a no-win situation.
By selling everyone on his credentials, Schottenheimer essentially threw chum into shark-infested waters. Maybe his train of thought got away from him, and he immediately regretted calling himself an elite play-caller or insisting he's the right man for the job.
Either way, those declarations ring hollow when the buttons you're pressing aren't working. The results were always going to speak louder than anything Schottenheimer said behind a microphone.
After Monday's 38-21 victory, Schottenheimer finally let his team's play do the talking.
Schottenheimer needs to continue letting his coaching do the talking
Schottenheimer's side of the ball completely overwhelmed an Eagles defense that had most of its major chess pieces. Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Zack Baun, Quinyon Mitchell, Moro Ojomo and Cooper DeJean all played. And yet, Dallas' offense racked up 38 points and 416 total yards, nearly half of which came on the ground. Vic Fangio had no answers.
After abandoning the run in Weeks 5 and 6, Schotteheimer wisely rode the coattails of Javonte Williams and his offensive line. Williams handled 25 carries and rushed for a career-high 155 yards. The Cowboys' HC committed to the run, and it paid off.
Additionally, Schottenheimer incorporated more pre-snap motion and operated from under center far more often. Simple tweaks, but they addressed the biggest issues that plagued the offense against the Buccaneers and Packers.
Those adjustments and the offense's overall bounce back say more than anything Schottenheimer could say to the media.
No bragging about the offense. No "I gotcha" soundbites. No sarcasm. Just applauding his players for coming up big in the second half.
This was a game the Cowboys were supposed to win. Road divisional games have a knack for going off-script, but this is a diminished version of the Eagles. You don't apologize for winning a game in Philly, and this was undoubtedly a step in the right direction.
Waxing poetic about one victory, though, would have undermined the message Schottenheimer should be sending: This was progress, not proof that Dallas suddenly has everything figured out and should be taken seriously.
Schottenheimer made some decisions that I did not agree with, but he called a great game and finally showed restraint at the podium.
That's the version of him the Cowboys need moving forward, preferably with a little more aggression and better clock management.