As a head coach and quarterback duo last season, Dak and Schottenheimer were good, but when stacked up against the rest of the league, where do they rank?
The Dallas Cowboys under Brian Schottenheimer last season were a joy to watch offensively. Defensively, not so much.
With Dak Prescott and the offense seen as one of the NFL's best, and aside from the last month, where the unit was allergic to the end zone in the second half of games, the unit was rather consistent.
So, you could make the case that Schotty and Dak were among the better head coach/quarterback duos in football despite the 7-9-1 record.
But when we put them up against all of the other head coach/quarterback duos, where would Dak and Schottenheimer rank ahead of the 2026 season?
Well, Sports Illustrated's Matt Verderame did this exercise and ranked all 32 head coach/quarterback duos in football.
But where does Schottenheimer and Prescott rank?
As it turns out, middle of the pack at No. 17.
“The Cowboys have plenty of questions, but most center on a defense that ranked 30th a year ago,” Verderame wrote. “Offensively, the unit was second in yardage primarily because of Prescott, and receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, one of the league’s best trios. In 2025, Prescott threw for 4,552 yards and 30 touchdowns after finishing second in the MVP balloting two years before.
“In Schottenheimer’s case, the coach enters his second season after finishing 7-9-1 in his first campaign. After moving off defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus for Christian Parker, did Schottenheimer push the right button? That choice will hover over Dallas’s season and potentially determine its fate.”
READ MORE: Cowboys Defense Optimism Centered On Key Duo
Ok, so 17th isn't too bad and in truth, after the 2025 season, you can't really argue with it. But there are some issues I have with the list.
Verderame has Jesse Minter and Lamar Jackson ahead of Dak and Schottenheimer at No. 16. He also has John Harbaugh and Jaxson Dart at No. 15.
So, I offer this.
How can a head coach/quarterback duo be ahead of Prescott and Schottenheimer when they haven't even set foot on an NFL field together yet?
Color me confused.
This ranking could be seen as bulletin-board material for the Cowboys as Schottenheimer enters his second season, and if Dallas has the year many hope for, in 12 months' time, I'll bet that Dak and Schottenheimer will be far higher on this list.
Even though they probably should be already.
