Brian Schottenheimer will get his first taste as a head coach in 2025, when the Dallas Cowboys promoted him from offensive coordinator to take over from the departed Mike McCarthy.
And just a few months into the role, we already have a clear indication of how the 2025 Cowboys under Schottenheimer want to play.
A big emphasis has been placed on winning in the trenches (offensive and defensive lines) and running the football, with Schottenheimer developing quite the rushing attack during his time in Seattle (leading the league in rushing).
So that is the game style sorted, but how does he want his team and offense to play?
"Physical," Schottenheimer said. "As a football team, as an offense, we want to be physical. My MO has always been to run the football. I really believe that the game, like I said, is up front, led the league twice [in rushing] as a coordinator, proud of that. I think getting a guy like Klayton Adams really helps us.
"As a coordinator, his knowledge, I've been tracking him for a couple years now, he's a incredible mind when it comes to not just the run game but just how to attack defenses and how to get favorable leverage. But physical is the first thing that kind of jumps out at me."
So be a tough, physical football team. Seems simple enough.
The coaching hires also point to how much Schottenheimer believes in his philosophy with Klayton Adams coming over from the Arizona Cardinals to be offensive coordinator, where he helped build a top-10 rushing attack in 2024.
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Then we have Conor Riley, who will be the offensive line coach and was credited with helping build Deuce Vaughn's outstanding college career. So two key positions filled by people who know how to get the run game rolling.
Physical isn't a term many would use to describe the Cowboys over the past five years, but it's clear that under Schottenheimer, it's coming back.
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This story was originally published April 2, 2025 at 7:21 AM.