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Is Brian Schottenheimer on the Hot Seat? Cowboys Coach Says Execution ‘Starts With Me’
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- Is Brian Schottenheimer on the Hot Seat? Cowboys Coach Says Execution ‘Starts With Me’
Brian Schottenheimer didn't duck the question Wednesday at The Star in Frisco. With the Cowboys at 3-5 after blowing a 14-point fourth-quarter lead to Arizona, the second-year head coach put the season squarely on himself. "It's not an effort issue. It's an execution issue. That starts with me as the head coach," Schottenheimer said, per The Athletic's Jon Machota .
So is he on the hot seat? The man who would make that call says no. After Sunday's 33-30 overtime loss, Jerry Jones ruled out a midseason change. "I made a change with Wade Phillips there in the middle of the season, and I don't see that here," Jones said, via Machota . Jones also said a lot of people let his coach down that day.
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What Brian Schottenheimer says has to change
Nov 1, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer calls plays on the sideline against the Arizona Cardinals during the first quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Schottenheimer kept going. "I'm responsible for everything that happens here. Our execution has to be cleaner. We have to be able to put some of these close games away that we've unfortunately let slip away from us. And that comes down to execution."
Arizona was the clearest example. Dallas led 24-10 in the fourth quarter before Gardner Minshew hit Michael Wilson for a 13-yard touchdown with six seconds left to force overtime, and the Cardinals won it on a 42-yard field goal. On Tuesday, Schottenheimer pointed to consistency. "You can't go into Philadelphia and run the ball for (204) yards and then come out and rush for (2.4) yards per carry (Sunday)," he said, according to Machota . The tape backs him up. Tyler Smith (36.0), Tyler Guyton (41.1) and Terence Steele (42.1) posted the line's three lowest run-blocking grades, and Javonte Williams finished with a 48.7 rushing grade, according to PFF. The defense missed eight tackles and allowed a 104.9 passer rating.
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He also addressed the snap count of George Pickens, the offense's top-graded player against Arizona at 80.1 on 42 snaps. Schottenheimer said injuries have limited Pickens, and that pulling one of his best players on purpose "would be poor coaching by me," per Clarence Hill Jr. Jones said this week that Pickens needs the ball more .
Next up is a trip to Lucas Oil Stadium to face a 2-6 Colts team that has lost four straight, and Dallas may be without rookie safety Caleb Downs, who is in the concussion protocol . Jones has given Schottenheimer his backing. A loss to a team in that kind of slide would make the execution talk much harder to sell.
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This story was originally published by Athlon on Nov 4, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
