The Dallas Cowboys introduced Brian Schottenheimer as the 10th head coach in franchise history on Monday.
An effective communicator and having an unteachable ability to command a room, Schottenheimer unsurprisingly handled himself extremely well.
Schottenheimer spoke with conviction and clearly outlined his desire to be a head coach and emphasis on culture.
The same cannot be said for Jerry and Stephen Jones. While the former went on a 10-minute diatribe defending his tenure as team owner, the latter arrogantly used air quotes to describe the franchise’s 30-year championship drought and was dismissive of it.
Unfortunately, none of that is surprising. The Joneses make a mockery of themselves and the Cowboys every time they meet with the media.
While Schottenheimer couldn’t totally salvage the press conference, his soundbites should have fans warming up to the hire.
When Schotty really won the presser is when Patrik Walker of the team’s official website asked him about changes he plans to make to Mike McCarthy’s offense. The newly-minted Cowboys coach hinted at sweeping changes.
Brian Schottenheimer hints at big change Cowboys fans wanted under Mike McCarthy
“I look at some of the things we did in Seattle, but it all things starts with what our players do well,” said Schottenheimer. “I’m a believer in cut splits, shifts and motions to distort things , marrying our runs and passes and make those things look the same. There’s also a tempo element we’re excited to mix in.”
That is the money quote, folks.
Time will tell if Schottenheimer actually installs these changes, but it sounds like he and McCarthy didn’t see eye to eye in terms of scheme.
Schottenheimer noticeably bit his lip multiple times during the presser when McCarthy’s scheme and play-calling was brought up.
This would explain why Schottenheimer was adamant about calling plays in 2025. Jerry Jones essentially confirmed to reporters Schotty will do just that.
The differing mindsets between Schottenheimer and McCarthy is alarming to hear.
Most teams – non-dysfunctional ones anyway – champion alignment from ownership, the front office and coaching staff.
That Dallas’ head coach and offensive coordinator weren’t on the same page about the intricacies of the offense is a good explanation why the group took a step back this past season.
With McCarthy calling plays, the Cowboys ranked in the bottom half of the league in play-action rate and dropback motion/shift rate.
Some of the NFL’s most prolific offenses all use motion, tempo and shifting at a high rate. It would appear that Schottenheimer learned some things while coaching under McCarthy for the last three years.
Whether Schottenheimer follows through remains to be seen, but it was hard not to love everything he said about his vision for the offense.
