The Cowboys boast one of the NFL's best offenses midway through the season, but it hasn't been enough to overcome the league's second-worst defense this year.
Dallas's offense has rolled for much of the first half of the season. Quarterback Dak Prescott has often played at an MVP level, and running back Javonte Williams ranks fourth in the league in rushing yards. Even with star wideout CeeDee Lamb missing time due to injury, the offense hasn't slowed thanks to the great trade for George Pickens, who is third in the league in receiving yards. When both are healthy, Lamb and Pickens have formed one of the league's top receiving duos.
Overall, the Cowboys rank second in total yards and points per game, and first in passing yards per game, but this doesn't make head coach Brian Schottenheimer feel any better about their 3-4-1 record.
“I think none of us have done good enough," Schottenheimer told reporters on Wednesday. "I mean coaches players, head coach. None of us have done good enough. That’s real. Our scorecard is what it is. We’re a football team that’s 3-4-1. You can take the stats on offense and shove them up your a— as far as I’m concerned. It is what it is. We want to win."
Join HC Brian Schottenheimer’s press conference from @thestarinfrisco presented by @ATT.
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) October 29, 2025
📺: #AZvsDAL 11/3 on ESPN https://t.co/ykVWhPo0CO
Schottenheimer added, "People talk about, ‘Hey MVP and this and that.’ Dak Prescott doesn’t want to win MVP. He wants to win a Super Bowl and that’s what we want to win. We’re not there yet. We’ve not played consistently enough to certainly be in that discussion but it doesn’t mean the journey stops. It certainly doesn’t stop. You get more focused. You get more intentional. And you got to do it together.”
Schottenheimer said he has been spending more time in defensive meetings than he was earlier in the year, but it's hard to imagine that being enough to produce the turnaround this defense needs to contend.
Team tiers after MNF pic.twitter.com/O7AJHhV0u7
— Football Insights 📊 (@fball_insights) October 28, 2025
The Cowboys have favorable matchups over the next couple weeks against the Cardinals and Raiders, but with looming games against the Eagles, Chiefs, Lions and Chargers over the back half of the season, it's hard to see them winning enough to make a playoff push this year. They would need to have their offense regularly outscore their opponents, which is not easy when their defense allows over 31 points per game. It also simply hasn't been sustainable when they go up against tougher defenses, like they did in last Sunday's loss to the Broncos.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Brian Schottenheimer Had Blunt Message About Cowboys’ Offense Amid 3-4-1 Start.
