Amid a three-decade championship famine, Brian Schottenheimer shields his owner from blame while a revamped defense and high-octane offense ignite hopes for a long-awaited Dallas revival.
FRISCO - Is it all Jerry Jones' fault?
The offseason is just now getting going, yet there is a great deal of hope and optimism surrounding coach Brian Schottenheimer's Dallas Cowboys.
And at the same time, there is a great deal of worrying and pessimism regarding owner Jerry Jones' Dallas Cowboys.
In other words, Schotty is new enough here that Cowboys Nation is willing to cut some slack for the second-year coach ... while "The Drought'' - the 30-year period stretching back to the last time Dallas was a Super Bowl team - is on Jerry.
And no slack is cut ... except maybe by Schottenheimer himself.
After a 7-9-1 2025 season with an elite offense and a putrid defense, the only way is up for Dallas, and it's been on a steady climb since hiring Christian Parker as defensive coordinator.
Add in the free agent signings of Jalen Thompson, PJ Locke, Cobie Durant, the trade for Rashan Gary, and the centerpiece to it all, draftee Caleb Downs, and the good vibes are flowing.
The offense is expected to be one of the better units in football again, but all eyes, and perhaps all of the pressure, are on the defense.
How will Parker call plays? How long will it take for his vision to come to life? Will the players be able to execute his plan? All of that is up in the air, but that is also what makes it exciting; we have no idea how it's going to go.
Skeptics, though, might feel that if/when it all goes south, it'll be Jerry's fault.
The coach's response to that?
"The Cowboys haven't won championships,'' he conceded, "but there have been a lot of people involved in that. We're trying to fix it. I'm a huge Jerry fan. I do think that some of the criticism he takes, it comes with the territory."
And, Schotty insinuated, some of the criticism Jones takes is unfair.
"Jerry loves the Dallas Cowboys and he loves the NFL,'' the coach said, adding that Jones might be "the best listener I've ever been around. ... I'm a Jerry fan.
Schottenheimer noted with a chuckle that he's not just offering this praise because the owner hired him (for his first-ever head-coaching job) or because the owner can fire him if he says something the boss doesn't like.
In the end, what Dallas - and Jerry, and his coach - really need is vast improvement.
Vast improvement from last year. And ideally, vast improvement from the last 30 years.
As it happens, ESPN's Matt Bowen has named the Cowboys as one of the five most improved teams in football after this offseason.
"The Cowboys can score points," Bowen wrote. "With QB Dak Prescott, WRs CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, and the run game balance, Dallas averaged 26.6 points per game last season. But the key for 2026 is the defensive upgrades.
"New coordinator Christian Parker will bring elements of Vic Fangio's system to Dallas. Edge rushers Rashan Gary and Malachi Lawrence, as well as safety Caleb Downs, boost the Cowboys' impact play ability. This team should compete for the NFC East title."
If that prognostication comes true? Jones' support of Schottenheimer will move nearer toward being justified.
And Schottenheimer's "fandom'' for Jerry will as well.
