Schottenheimer took the wheel of an NFL team for the first time in 2025, so how did he do?
There is no denying that Brian Schottenheimer's first NFL head-coaching gig was a roller coaster with the Dallas Cowboys.
Having to deal with several things throughout the year, like the Micah Parsons trade, the Marshawn Kneeland tragedy, disciplining CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, all the while trying to win football games, that is tough sledding.
In the end, Brian's first year ended with a 7-9-1 record and no playoff football.
The offense was one of the better units in football, and the defense, one of the worst.
So, let's take a dive into Brian's first year as head coach.
The Good:
Having the offense average 27.7 points per game and having Dak Prescott play one of his best seasons is certainly a good place to start.
Dak earned his fourth Pro Bowl nod after throwing for 4,552 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions under Schotty's guidance, operating at an elite level pre-snap, and with Schottenheimer's play-calling, this offense rolled more often than not.
Lamb (1,077 yards, 3 TDs) and Pickens (1,429 yards, 9 TDs) both surpassed 1,000 receiving yards, while Javonte Williams rushed for 1,201 yards and 11 touchdowns. The emergence of Ryan Flournoy as a genuine No. 3 option in the second half of the season was good for the soul.
The three-game stretch that saw Dallas beat the Las Vegas Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, and Kansas City Chiefs showed what this offense can do when it all comes together.
The Bad:
For all the good the Cowboys' offense did, once it got into the red zone, we saw it stall all too often, and Brandon Aubrey was called into action.
In total, out of 65 red zone attempts, Dallas scored a touchdown on just 37 of them (56.9 percent), which ranks 18th in the NFL.
That isn't good.
But when we add in that the Tennessee Titans (57 percent, 16th), the Pittsburgh Steelers (58 percent, 11th), and even the lowly Washington Commanders (65 percent, ranks fourth) were all better, yeah, that's a problem.
Settling for field goals and not being more ruthless with the defense in shambles is another mark against Schottenheimer, with the head coach often being too conservative and placing too much faith in his defense to get a stop.
With the weapons at Dak's disposal, not being better in the red zone isn't ideal. And in 2026, that has to be one area Schottenheimer looks at. After all, he is the play-caller.
The Ugly:
While it wasn't noticeable until the final month, the Cowboys' second-half offensive fadeouts are a major concern heading into next season.
In their final four games, the Cowboys only managed 22 points, and in three of those four games, Dallas didn't score a second-half touchdown. Yuck.
Did they get found out by defenses? Did Schottenheimer not make adjustments?
For all the weapons Schottenheimer had to utilize, not putting the ball in the endzone proved to be a difficult task as the year went on.
Had they managed to score touchdowns instead of field goals, maybe the playoffs could have been achieved.
Grade: C
Given what Brian had to deal with this season off the field, he is still the mind behind one of the best offenses in football. Yes, they had their down moments, but heading into 2026, there is one reason for optimism for Cowboys Nation, and that's the offense.
Year 1 didn't go the way Schottenheimer wanted, but there's plenty to like moving forward, but missing the playoffs means this is a failure of a season overall.