The Cowboys are determined for successful familiarity, however have an extended technique to go in getting there

The Dallas Cowboys launched their latest head coach, Brian Schottenheimer, on Monday, and ever since then have been busy constructing the workers that may work beneath the first-time head coach promoted from the offensive coordinator function. The hires will probably be only one piece of the puzzle to seeing how the 2025 Cowboys differ from the group that simply suffered by a 7-10 season, with the following being the total participant acquisition part to reinfuse the roster with expertise. A serious step on this course of is already underway with the 2 faculty All-Star bowls, and the Cowboys have performed effectively to maneuver simply rapidly sufficient to have one thing of a workers path in place whereas evaluating draft prospects.

Brian Schottenheimer’s introductory press convention was technically the primary likelihood to collect data on the brand new path of the franchise, with the brand new head ball coach seated between each Jerry and Stephen Jones. As foolish because it seemingly is, there may be such a perceived factor as “winning a press conference” in at the moment’s NFL. Whether or not or not the Cowboys did this when introducing Schottenheimer is sort of totally depending on any given fan’s opinion on the rent earlier than ever listening to a phrase from both the entrance workplace of Schotty himself. There was not all that a lot from Monday’s proceedings that turned these in opposition to the rent from the beginning into Schottenheimer’s greatest followers and believers in the entire course of, and people in favor of the rent shouldn’t have heard something that fully swayed them the opposite means both.

Tim Heitman-Imagn Pictures

Two themes had been persistent all through the press convention, and so they weaved their means in between lengthy stretches of Jerry converse and cringeworthy air quotes from Stephen all through the hour-plus session.

One theme was how the hiring of Schottenheimer represents each danger and essential change for the sake of enchancment. The danger in taking a lifelong assistant coach who didn’t interview for another head teaching openings this cycle and selling him after three seasons with the Cowboys. The adjustments that may include it each in Schottenheimer’s management skills and training model, in addition to extra tangibly on the sphere.

Schottenheimer didn’t get a rare period of time to debate any scheme or philosophy adjustments he plans on implementing, however when he did it took no time in any respect to begin with emphasizing the run recreation – certainly music to the Jones’ ears after already interviewing Schottenheimer twice – in addition to extra play-action and the kinds of throws Dak Prescott thrived on a lot earlier in his profession.

The second theme was far more constant, and did its greatest to contradict each among the good and dangerous from the primary. This was the theme of familiarity, of the significance of household, and the general sense of doing issues the “right way” and successful with the “right guys”. It didn’t take lengthy for all of this stuff to create a comparability between Schottenheimer and former head coach Jason Garrett, additionally promoted from an OC function.

Schottenheimer talked concerning the enterprise of soccer all the time being concerning the individuals greater than the X’s and O’s. As legitimate as this can be, the Cowboys had Monday as a chance for the primary time because the season ended unceremoniously at residence to handle simply how flawed they had been on the X’s and O’s aspect of issues in 2024, and all however handed on it. With out seeing a transparent imaginative and prescient for the way the group can enhance right here, and with all 4 of the convention championship members from the day earlier than trying leaps and bounds higher on this crucial space than the Cowboys, it stays arduous to totally imagine on this offseason being consequential sufficient to maneuver this group all the best way from third within the NFC East into first place once more. Particularly when the 2 groups that completed forward of them simply competed for an opportunity to go to the Tremendous Bowl, each with former Cowboys coaches enjoying key roles in Kellen Moore for the victorious Eagles and Dan Quinn for the Commanders.

It didn’t even take very lengthy in any respect for Jerry to say level clean that he “wanted to be a coach”, which is certain to attract all kinds of eye rolls and dialogue concerning the lack of expertise from Schottenheimer in a task like this in comparison with his close to lifelong dedication to the sport of soccer. Is that this the closest Jerry can really get to having a coach like affect on the group, even commenting at size on his “proximity” to Schottenheimer in group conferences as a key a part of the hiring determination?

Photograph by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Pictures

Inside these conferences, Jerry particularly talked about watching Schottenheimer each have “deference” to Mike McCarthy at occasions, and in addition “bite his lip” at different occasions when discussing recreation plans. If Schottenheimer’s presence was sturdy sufficient in these conferences to promote himself as a head coach with out even realizing it, why was it not sturdy sufficient to make a distinction on the sphere, the place the offensive scheme persevered within the picture of McCarthy’s play calling and hardly any of something from Schottenheimer’s previous in Seattle or elsewhere? If it was as a result of a veteran head coach like McCarthy knew find out how to shield his personal energy throughout the group over anything, and never permitting his coordinators to have large enough roles was a motive for parting methods after 5 seasons, how can the deserves of a primary time head coach like Schottenheimer, who will want an excellent stronger reliance on his assist workers, be spun as a optimistic?

Sadly, these weren’t the one factors of confusion when watching a group so determined for a way of path come out and proceed to look considerably misplaced. Stephen Jones known as Mike McCarthy the winningest coach “in the history of the franchise” at one level. Contemplating Tom Landry has 165 extra wins than the following closest coach in Garrett, the one good thing about the doubt Stephen will get right here is speaking about win proportion. Nevertheless, McCarthy’s .583 successful proportion over 5 seasons is definitely fourth in franchise historical past, behind Barry Switzer, Landry, and Wade Phillips.

Jerry talked about how their present cap allocations would level to having a powerful roster that is able to be constructed upon and contend, and being “all in” on Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, and probably Micah Parsons proper across the nook. For this to be the case, the Cowboys might want to keep away from forcing the spherical peg in a sq. gap by trying on the present make-up of their roster and forcing it into being a run-first group. Their solely established operating again from final season in Rico Dowdle will hit free company this March. Schottenheimer pivoting to speak about how a coach should have a scheme versatile sufficient to focus on what its gamers do greatest might have been a saving grace right here, however has additionally been rapidly forgotten about given his extra detailed reply concerning the operating recreation and his personal historical past as an OC recognized to favor the run.

It’ll take a ton of labor in each the backfield and offensive line to make the Cowboys an ideal operating group once more, and it’s arduous to seek out the place the sense of urgency to do that work will match the perceived urgency they declare to have in successful on the remaining 4 years of Prescott’s contract – additionally the size of Schottenheimer’s head teaching deal.

Max Faulkner/Fort Value Star-Telegram/Tribune Information Service by way of Getty Pictures

Why is Brian Schottenheimer the coach to place this all collectively, overcome any of the entrance workplace’s shortcomings, the bigger than life model of the Dallas Cowboys, and take this group from seven wins out of the playoffs to championship glory? Proper now, the reply to that questions nonetheless feels as far off as the following Cowboys kickoff come September. The general sense from Schottenheimer’s introductory press convention was that the extra issues change in Dallas, the extra they keep the identical.