Brian Schottenheimer didn’t try to hide it. Sunday at MetLife Stadium, with the Cowboys up 23-3 late in the third, he still wasn’t happy. The offense looked flat, and even though the scoreboard favored Dallas, Schotty wanted more. Dak Prescott later revealed that his coach wasn’t afraid to admit he wasn’t satisfied with the calls.

So what happened? Schottenheimer leaned into the headset. “Let me get something going for you,” he told Prescott. “Let me do a better job of calling plays.” And just like that, he dialed up a deep ball. Dak Prescott dropped it into George Pickens’ hands, who turned it into a 43-yard touchdown. The sideline lit up, the lead stretched, and the Jets were done. Then Schotty’s voice came through again: “Hey, I’m back in my bag.” Prescott didn’t hesitate: “Yeah, you are.”

For Prescott, that moment wasn’t just about a touchdown. It was about accountability, something he says Schottenheimer has carried since day one. “That’s just him being him,” Prescott explained. “He’s a stand-up guy who approaches each day the same, true to who he is. Win, loss, draw, whatever it may be, you’re gonna get the same Schotty. And I think that’s something that makes it easy to follow and allows the guys to respect. Something just as a play caller and from our relationship that I appreciate is a guy who takes heavy accountability.” And it showed.

According to The Athletic’s Jon Machota, Sunday was probably Schottenheimer’s best outing so far. And the Cowboys pulled it off without six key starters, including CeeDee Lamb and Tyler Smith. Instead, it was Javonte Williams pounding out 135 yards and two scores, Ryan Flournoy hauling in 114 yards, and Jake Ferguson snagging two touchdowns. While the depth came clutch, meanwhile, Prescott kept rolling.

Dak Prescott finished with 237 passing yards, four touchdowns, and one sack. And he did it behind a patchwork line. However, it seems the Cowboys coach anticipated that. And the overall efficiency of Schottenheimer’s team had Jerry Jones buzzing post-game.

Jerry Jones impressed by Schottenheimer

Brian Schottenheimer has always been upfront about his outlook on coaching. To him, the guys on the field carry the weight. He’s admitted that plenty of times, saying coaches can get too much credit or too much blame. Some play calls land, some don’t. Still, players need to buy into the voice in charge. That’s what made the 37-22 win at MetLife hit differently for Jerry Jones.

“That’s coaching,” Jones said after the win. “And everybody on this team as a player, their coaches just went up in their eyes today. I hope that’s the way for the fans as they did in mine.” It wasn’t just about Dak Prescott throwing four touchdowns. It wasn’t only about George Pickens’ long score or Javonte Williams’ big day. For Jones, it was about trust in the men wearing the headsets.

Yet Schottenheimer wasn’t letting it turn into a personal celebration. “I’m a live in the moment guy,” he reminded reporters. “Midnight rule still applies… we won this game, and it still applies… soon as I get out of here, I’m going to have a Schotty, get on the plane, and get back to Dallas.”

Yes, in the NFL, winning is tough. Doing it without key players and half the offensive line only made it tougher. That’s why Dallas fans left the Meadowlands knowing their coach is raising the bar.