In the aftermath of the Dallas Cowboys‘ deflating loss to the New York Giants, a former player has publicly challenged whether head coach Brian Schottenheimer truly established control over the team in his first year in charge.
Isiah Stanback, who spent part of his NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys, did not mince words when assessing Schottenheimer‘s performance.
Speaking in a recent video posted on the Cowboys‘ official YouTube channel, Stanback argued that while there were signs of progress on offense, the broader responsibilities of a head coach were not met.
“When you’re the head coach, you’re responsible for more than one-third of the game,” Stanback said. “I don’t believe that he fully had his imprint on the defense as a whole. I definitely don’t think his imprint was there on the special teams unit. Regardless of who you have on your roster, that identity should still be there. He did not make the playoffs and did not show the character of the team through two-thirds of the game, so I’m B minus minus.”
Offensive progress overshadowed by defensive collapse
The Cowboys finished inside the league’s top 10 in scoring, averaging roughly 27 points per game. Quarterback Dak Prescott produced one of the most productive seasons of his career, throwing for more than 4,500 yards and 30 touchdown passes.
Prescott‘s numbers were not just eye-catching, they were historically significant for the franchise. He posted his fourth season with at least 30 touchdown passes, tying a long-standing record held by Tony Romo. Over 17 games, Prescott completed 404 of 600 passes for 4,552 yards, added 177 rushing yards, and scored two touchdowns on the ground, finishing among the league leaders in both yards and passing scores. His play earned him a fourth Pro Bowl selection.
However, any offensive momentum was repeatedly undermined by a defence that could not hold its ground. Dallas finished last in the league in points allowed, conceding more than 30 points per game. The issue was not limited to one bad afternoon.
The Cowboys surrendered 44 points twice in defeats this season, including a bruising 44-30 loss to the Detroit Lions, a result that became emblematic of their inability to control games.
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