Schottenheimer Faces Backlash as Cowboys’ Struggles Mount After Packers Loss

WHO:

Pro Football Network - Cowboys fans reacted to former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner’s criticism of Dallas’s performance against Green Bay’s blitz packages.

Heavy NFL - Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer discussed the offense’s recent struggles and comments by team owner Jerry Jones’ son, Stephen Jones.

ABC News - Quarterback Dak Prescott said the losing streak would test him, Schottenheimer and the team’s “brotherhood.”

DallasCowboys.com - Schottenheimer said he was “pretty pissed off” after the loss and said the players were frustrated and “ready for a win.”

DallasCowboys.com - Schottenheimer identified George Pickens as a receiver Dallas needs to involve earlier and move around more in its offense.

WHAT:

ABC News - Dallas had a 24–16 loss to Tampa Bay before its 23–13 loss to Green Bay.

ABC News - The Cowboys’ next three opponents had losing records, and Washington’s loss to San Francisco confirmed that every NFC East team had gone without a win in back-to-back weeks.

ABC News - Dallas’s two consecutive losses were its worst performances of the season, despite its key offensive players being available.

ABC News - The Cowboys’ third-year undrafted tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford had an athletic first-down play against Green Bay; ABC described him as bigger than Jake Ferguson and a better blocker.

ABC News - Washington lost at San Francisco; the Eagles and New York Giants were not expected to have their starting quarterbacks soon.

ABC News - Each of the previous three Arizona teams to beat Dallas finished the season with at least 13 losses.

DallasCowboys.com - Schottenheimer said the team’s effort gave him confidence in its players, but that execution had not been good enough in the previous two games.

DallasCowboys.com - Schottenheimer said Dallas’s offense had been explosive in four games that season and had a history of strong performance in the previous season.

DallasCowboys.com - Schottenheimer said Dallas’s third NFC East game was approaching.

ABC News - The Cowboys had 11 games remaining, including four of their next five against teams with records below .500.

ABC News - Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts was sidelined for the season by blood clots.

ABC News - The Cowboys had lost the playoffs in each of the previous two seasons.

DallasCowboys.com - Dallas averaged 5.2 first-quarter carries at 4.0 yards per attempt, compared with 7.2 carries at 4.7 yards per attempt the previous season.

DallasCowboys.com - T.J. Bass was ranked in the middle of the pack among guards by Pro Football Focus while filling in for Tyler Smith.

ABC News - Jonathan Mingo returned a punt for 16 yards.

ABC News - Dallas’s offense had 303 yards and two turnovers in its 23–13 loss to Green Bay; the Packers had 318 yards.

ABC News - The NFC East became the first division since the 1970 merger in which every team played and failed to win in back-to-back weeks.

ABC News - The next three teams on Dallas’s schedule had losing records; four of the Cowboys’ next five games were against teams below .500.

ABC News - Dallas had all the key players from one of the NFL’s best offenses available in its two latest games, but those were its two worst performances of the season.

ABC News - Schottenheimer had spent 25 years as an NFL assistant before his first opportunity to lead a team.

DallasCowboys.com - Dallas’s offense ranks 31st in the NFL with 76.0 rushing yards per game and 23rd with 3.4 yards per carry. The Cowboys averaged a league-low 20.3 carries per game, down from 27.4 the previous season.

DallasCowboys.com - Javonte Williams averaged 14.2 carries per game this season, compared with 15.8 the previous season; his average yards per carry fell from 4.8 to 3.7. He had 317 rushing yards, ranking 17th in the NFL.

DallasCowboys.com - Dallas averaged 5.9 yards per carry on outside-left runs and 1.5 on outside-right runs; its averages on inside-left and inside-right runs were 3.4 and 3.6 yards per carry, respectively.

DallasCowboys.com - The Cowboys passed 32 consecutive times and passed on 40 of their final 41 plays against Green Bay. They ran 13 times with running backs, including 11 carries by Williams.

DallasCowboys.com - The Cowboys’ offensive line included Tyler Smith and Tyler Booker at guard and Cooper Beebe at center. Pro Football Focus ranked Beebe sixth among centers, Booker 13th among guards, and Smith 15th among guards.

Heavy NFL - Dallas had scored 29 points combined in its two games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Green Bay Packers; Prescott threw four interceptions across those games.

Heavy NFL - Dallas lost 23–13 to Green Bay, its second consecutive loss, and had a 2–4 record.

ABC News - The Cowboys’ offense had its two worst performances of the season in consecutive games, despite having its key offensive players available.

ABC News - Against Green Bay, Prescott threw two interceptions; a third interception was nullified by a roughing-the-passer penalty. He said, “I just have to simplify the plan” and called the problem “definitely fixable.”

ABC News - Dallas ran the ball 15 times in 70 plays. Javonte Williams gained 41 yards on 11 carries, averaging 3.7 yards per carry; the team ran once after his 1-yard touchdown run.

ABC News - Tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford had four catches for 35 yards on five targets; Jake Ferguson had two catches for 13 yards on three targets.

ABC News - KaVontae Turpin injured his ribs on the opening kickoff; linebacker Dee Winters strained an Achilles tendon after making Dallas’s first interception of the season. DeMarvion Overshown was nearing a return after missing five weeks with a hamstring injury.

ABC News - Dallas scored fewer than 20 points in consecutive Prescott starts for the first time since 2019.

DallasCowboys.com - Schottenheimer said Dallas had not played a “normal game” offensively in its previous two games because it fell behind early. He said the resulting catch-up situation affected rushing attempts and allowed opponents to blitz and pressure Prescott.

DallasCowboys.com - Schottenheimer said Dallas had “not handled” blitzes well and needed to improve blitz pickup and execution.

DallasCowboys.com - Dallas rushed for a season-low 48 yards against Green Bay. Prescott attempted 54 passes, tied for the fourth-highest total of his career in a game. Schottenheimer said he had not planned for 54 passes and called it “not a good formula.”

DallasCowboys.com - Schottenheimer said Green Bay’s defensive fronts led Dallas to change some planned runs into pass plays.

DallasCowboys.com - Schottenheimer praised defensive tackles Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark, cornerbacks DaRon Bland and Joey Porter Jr., linebacker Shemar James, and Winters.

ABC News - Dallas was scheduled to visit Philadelphia next Monday night; the Cowboys and Eagles each had a 2–4 record.

ABC News - Dallas had lost four consecutive games at Philadelphia and eight of its previous nine meetings with Arizona.

WHERE:

ABC News - The Cowboys lost to the Packers in Green Bay.

ABC News - Dallas was based in Frisco, Texas, and its next game was in Philadelphia.

WHY:

DallasCowboys.com - Mailbag contributors suggested Dallas’s running-game issues could involve Terence Steele being a year older and slower, lacking a reliable No. 2 running back, changed blocking schemes, and reduced motion, under-center snaps, and play-action.

ABC News - Prescott said he had to “simplify the plan” after struggling against blitzes, and said the problem was “definitely fixable.”

DallasCowboys.com - Mailbag contributors cited several possible factors in Dallas’s running-game struggles, including low rushing volume, use of less motion and play-action, fewer snaps under center, and possible issues with blocking schemes and running-back depth.

DallasCowboys.com - Schottenheimer attributed the offensive struggles largely to Dallas falling behind early and having to play catch-up.

DallasCowboys.com - Schottenheimer said Green Bay’s aggressive defensive fronts prompted changes to Dallas’s run-pass plays.

HOW:

ABC News - Prescott and Williams discussed how to prevent the season from spiraling; Prescott said the team needed its first win to build confidence and start a winning streak.

DallasCowboys.com - Schottenheimer said Dallas needed to move Pickens around and get him involved earlier in games.

Dallas has lost back-to-back games, falling 24 to 16 to Tampa Bay and then 23 to 13 to Green Bay, and its offense has produced its two worst performances of the season. Against the Packers, the Cowboys managed 303 yards, turned the ball over twice and rushed for only 48 yards, while Dak Prescott threw two interceptions and attempted 54 passes. Coach Brian Schottenheimer said Dallas fell behind early, struggled to handle blitzes and did not execute well enough; he called the pass-heavy approach a poor formula. Prescott said he needs to simplify the plan and described the problems as fixable, while warning the losing streak would test the team’s brotherhood. Schottenheimer said he wants receiver George Pickens involved earlier and moved around more. Dallas is 2–4, with its next game in Philadelphia, and four of its next five opponents have losing records.