Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer poured hype into every rep, every huddle, every meeting. Saturday night in SoFi Stadium was supposed to be his first real test—a chance to see if that energy translated under the lights against the Los Angeles Rams. Instead, the opener turned into a rough start that leaves you blinking at the scoreboard, wondering how it all fell apart so fast.

And yet, for Schottenheimer, the night began with pure emotion. In the post-match conference, he admitted it was overwhelming. “I got a little bit choked up coming to the stadium… it’s been a dream of mine to be in this chair,” he said. But that dream collided headfirst with reality. Right from the jump, Dallas found themselves on their heels.

The Rams marched 79 yards in 11 plays on the opening drive, capped by a short two-yard punch from Blake Corum. A quick three-and-out from the Cowboys’ offense handed the ball right back, and Los Angeles didn’t waste the gift. Another long march—13 plays, 64 yards—ended with Corum trotting in from four yards out. Two drives, two touchdowns, and not much resistance in between.

By then, the numbers told the story better than any highlight reel. Dallas gained one offensive yard in the first quarter and out-gained 140-1. And that was before things got even uglier. As the second quarter opened, the tally ballooned to 160-1, leaving Cowboys Nation shaking their heads in disbelief.

Of course, Brian Schottenheimer didn’t sugarcoat it afterward. “It wasn’t the storybook beginning,” he said, lamenting the lack of discipline and the pile of mistakes. ESPN’s Todd Archer added that the Cowboys’ HC “liked the effort but it has to be about more than effort.” Even former star Dez Bryant weighed in, pointing out that the energy level—the very thing Schottenheimer had been preaching—wasn’t there. And for a fanbase still scarred from the previous regime’s sluggish starts, that was a gut punch.

Sure, it’s only preseason, and there’s time to fix the leaks. But the Cowboys can’t walk into the regular season carrying this same lethargy and expect to contend. Worse yet, there’s another reason—an unexpected preseason decision—that’s leaving Cowboys fans even more uneasy.

Schottenheimer puzzled Cowboys fans with Tyler Booker decision

To make matters even more surprising for Cowboys Nation, the hype around first-round rookie Tyler Booker fizzled just minutes before kickoff against the Los Angeles Rams. Multiple reports confirmed he wasn’t in pads and wouldn’t be playing Saturday night — and sure enough, he never stepped on the field. For fans in AT&T Stadium’s “silver and blue” faithful, that was a hard pill to swallow.

And yet, on his very first game day as Cowboys head coach, Brian Schottenheimer seemed determined to play it safe. He wasn’t just resting, Booker, either. Cornerback Kaiir Elam, defensive end Sam Williams, fullback Hunter Luepke, and wideout KaVontae Turpin were also without pads during pregame warmups, leaving many in the crowd wondering what exactly the plan was.

Still, Booker’s absence raised the loudest questions. He didn’t have any injuries heading into the game and had been working with the first-team throughout camp in Oxnard, California. Perhaps, as some suggested, the coaching staff felt the rookie was ready and didn’t want to risk his health — especially with the offensive line already dealing with hits. Veteran Rob Jones landed on season-ending IR earlier in camp, while starting left tackle Tyler Guyton is still rehabbing a knee injury.

Ultimately, this cautious call marked a shift in Dallas’ preseason philosophy. And after tonight’s stinker, Schottenheimer may have to rethink whether holding Booker out was the right move at all.