When Jerry Jones hired Brian Schottenheimer as the newest head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, it shocked most observers in the media and the fanbase. Over the last nine months though, Jones has been proven correct in his assessment of what the first-time head honcho was bringing to the table. His offense is creative, and possibly far more importantly, his presence demands a ton of respect from his troops.
His energy, knowledge and confidence have inspired a team of players who are used to being in the center of attention. At least, on the offense. The defense is a different story entirely, and while the club has operated under a separation of church and state for the last several staffs, the offensive-minded head coach is going to have to do something about the defense if things continue on their current trajectory in Week 7 against the Washington Commanders.
Enough is enough. The Cowboys have been down this road before and it did not end well.
In 2020, the club hired Mike McCarthy, a solely offensive-minded head coach, who in turn handed over the reigns of that year’s defense to Mike Nolan. Nolan didn’t inspire much confidence from the outside, but McCarthy believed in him. That year had extenuating circumstances, with the COVID-19 pandemic changing how life happened for the majority of the world. The NFL wasn’t exempt, and distancing protocols, testing and vaccination mandates and empty stadiums made things difficult on new coaching staffs.
Dallas struggled mightily, firing Nolan at the end of just one season, and moving on to the next defensive era rather quickly.