With the playoffs already off the table, the Dallas Cowboys are in the part of the season where most teams start thinking about next year. Brian Schottenheimer isn’t. Dallas’ 30–23 win over Washington in Week 17 moved them to 7–8–1, and so Schottenheimer made it clear that nothing is changing, even in a lost season. That approach has worked before, and it has also backfired, which risks reopening a familiar problem for the Cowboys.

“Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer on @netflix
broadcast on being aggressive offensively in the first half (289 yards, 24 points): “We trust our guys. We trust Dak. We got playmakers everywhere. That’s the way we’re gonna play the rest of the year,” reported Jon Machota, taking to his X account.

Dallas led 24–10 at the break and, while the final score tightened, this was still a game they controlled. Schottenheimer repeatedly bypassed field-goal attempts as Dallas struggled on third down, opting instead to keep the offense on the field. Five times, he passed on the kick.

That mindset showed early, especially in the first half, when Dallas piled up 289 yards and 24 points. The Cowboys finished the day converting all six fourth-down attempts, a season high, and totaled more than 400 yards of offense.

Even with a quieter second half, the offense finished with more than 400 total yards. Dak Prescott went 19-of-37 for 307 yards and two touchdowns. With Javonte Williams leaving due to a shoulder injury, Malik Davis stepped in and crossed the 100-yard mark. Dallas also eclipsed 200 rushing yards when Prescott, Williams, Davis, and Hunter Luepke were combined.

Dallas lost both Williams and Jake Ferguson during the game, and neither George Pickens nor CeeDee Lamb had a big stat line. It didn’t matter. KaVontae Turpin ran the field with one catch that went for 86 yards. With Ryan Flournoy inactive, Turpin logged expanded snaps beyond return duties and accounted for the Cowboys’ longest play of the season.

But this style has come with consequences before. Earlier this season against Detroit, Schottenheimer publicly referenced the offense leaning on slant concepts, only for Dallas to finish just 1-for-3 in the red zone as the Lions tightened coverage inside the 20. The Cowboys stalled on multiple scoring opportunities in that game, turning red-zone possessions into field goals instead of touchdowns. It’s a familiar pattern in losses where aggressive intent did not translate into execution when margins narrowed.

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Those games have also exposed the other side of the roster. Dallas’ defense has recorded 29 sacks and 11 takeaways this season, while posting a minus-8 turnover differential, numbers that rank near the bottom of the league and have routinely surfaced in close losses. Against Detroit, the Cowboys entered the fourth quarter within reach before allowing a sustained Lions drive that bled clock and ended in points, with Dallas generating little pressure and no negative plays.

That history matters now because the current version of the Cowboys is built to win only when the offense carries the weight. When drives stall or points are left on the field, there is little margin for error given a defense that has struggled to generate pressure or takeaways late in games. In those moments, the burden shifts back to the quarterback.

Prescott has said he wants to play every remaining snap as it matters. Today was another proof. And yes, he wants to do it again next week.

Dak Prescott wants to have a go again next week

“For sure,” Prescott said when reporters asked if he still wants to suit up in Week 18. “I love this game. I love every opportunity I get to play it. I understand the reasons why maybe [I don’t get to play].”

He knows the decision might not be his in the end. But listening to him, you can tell where his head is. As far as he’s concerned, he’s playing.

“In my mind, any conversations that I’ve had with (Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer) or anybody about it would be I’m playing,” Prescott said.

And that’s the tension right there. Prescott just put together one of those

rare seasons where his body actually held up. When that happens, he plays at an MVP level. Dallas needs that version of him again next year. And every snap now, with the Cowboys already eliminated, carries real risk. Just look at what happened today.

Prescott was sacked six times and hit 11 more. Some of those shots weren’t pretty. A few came in low, around the knee, and were a little scary. The offensive line is already held together with tape, and that showed as the game wore on.

The Cowboys still want to win, and Prescott clearly wants to lead them out there. But the smarter move might be winning the bigger picture. That likely means sitting Dak now, protecting the most important piece of the franchise, and making sure he’s whole when next season kicks off. Give him that, plus a defense that can actually hold up, and that’s when Dallas might finally see something real.