Brian Schottenheimer, the first-year head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, is standing at 6-8-1 in his debut season with two games left and zero playoff hopes. But when pressed about balancing his offensive pedigree with defensive responsibilities, he didn’t deflect. Instead, he faced the reporters with remarkable candor about his evolution as a head coach.

“The answer is ‘absolutely’ in every regard. Part of being the head coach of a football team is that you have to oversee everything,” Schottenheimer explained in a presser. “It’s really all three phases. It’s not just offense, it’s defense, it’s special teams. – And I’ll certainly spend time this offseason talking to some of my mentors and people around the league that have been doing this for a while, and just kind of see how they do it. But the answer is I’m always looking to grow, and I want to take that next step.”

His admission matters because the numbers tell a brutal story. Dallas’ defense has recorded just 29 sacks and 11 takeaways while suffering a minus-8 turnover ratio. Metrics that Schottenheimer has lamented all season. The defense ranks among the league’s worst and is one of the key reasons the Cowboys have faltered this season despite their offense firing on all cylinders.

Similar numbers have repeatedly shown up in the Cowboys’ losses. struggled to close games where the offense put them in position to win, only for the defense to fail on critical third downs or late drives. For example, against Detroit earlier this month, the Cowboys entered the fourth quarter within striking distance before allowing a sustained Lions drive that bled clock and ended in points, with Dallas generating little pressure and no negative plays.

The head coach’s fingerprints are all over an offense that has remained efficient even when injuries mounted along the offensive line and skill positions shuffled. The same clarity, however, has not existed on defense or special teams. Coverage breakdowns, missed tackles in space, and poor field-position battles have lingered well past midseason, suggesting problems that went beyond individual execution and into oversight and in-game management.

But, for an offense-minded coach who has helped his team rank consistently high (5th in points per game and 2nd in yards per game), acknowledging the team’s shortcomings shows genuine accountability. Schottenheimer now intends to find “pockets of time” to engage more deeply with special teams coordinator Nick Sorensen and the defensive staff.

Whether that staff includes Matt Eberflus in 2026 remains to be seen. But Schotty is determined to be a full-fledged head coach rather than merely an offensive coordinator with an expanded title.

Despite the disappointing record, Schottenheimer’s first season as the HC has earned him positive reviews from analysts. For many, he’s surpassed the modest expectations set by the media and ownership all season. He’s navigated major injuries and still maintained team cohesion against the odds.

And while Brian Schottenheimer contemplates the team’s future and his next steps, his quarterback has drawn a line in the turf about the present. The Cowboys’ season might end in two weeks, but Dak Prescott isn’t shying away from battling it out till the end.

Dak Prescott is ready to fight

If you’re not heading to the postseason, most teams would choose to rest their quarterbacks for the final stretch. But if Brian Schottenheimer had any plans about that, Dak’s not having any of it. Prescott shut down all speculation about sitting out the final two games with the force of a defensive end blitzing unblocked.

“I’d fight him [on it], particularly right now, going to this game, getting a chance to play on Christmas Day,” Prescott said about a benching possibility. “I’m not trying to be away from my family if I’m not going to get to play this game, and get to do something that I love at a high level, and finish a good individual season off strong.”

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The defiance stems from competitive pride. After all, that’s what Dallas is playing for now. And going up against the Washington Commanders, Prescott just wouldn’t watch from the sidelines in a divisional matchup, regardless of playoff irrelevance. But he won’t have to fight his coach over it.

Schottenheimer has indicated he wants Prescott on the field. “I want to win. So the plan would be to play Dak,” the head coach said. The alignment of coach and QB suggests these final two divisional contests against Washington and the New York Giants will feature full-strength lineups, disappointing season or not. And then, 2026 awaits.

“We won’t be back here in this spot,” Prescott has vowed, looking ahead to the next season. His guarantee mirrors Schottenheimer’s commitment to improvement. Both understand that growth requires uncomfortable honesty paired with relentless work. 

The Cowboys close their season on Christmas Day and New Year’s weekend. No trophies await, but the foundation for something better might be taking shape in these final 120 minutes.