What's Bothering Brian Schottenheimer? Cowboys Fans Will Take The Results

The Dallas Cowboys walked into Lincoln Financial Field and handed the Philadelphia Eagles a 38-21 loss on Monday Night Football.

In a game that the Cowboys absolutely needed to win, coach Brian Schottenheimer was under pressure to get this thing rolling in the right direction.

Having been on the hot seat for the past two weeks, the pitchforks have been sharpened and coming after the head coach.

His team responded. And so did he.

Schottenheimer's offense - he is the self-proclaimed "elite'' leader of it, rememver - clicked after two down weeks, put up 38 points on the road in a divisional game, and now Dallas stands at 3-4.

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But Schottenheimer's other "response'' was weird.

He conducted a short four-minute press conference with his answers being quite clipped. Unfriendly, even.

And that triggered speculation that maybe he was highly bothered by the criticism of media and fans ... that he has "thin skin'' or "rabbit ears.''

On a normal day? He's generally offered very thoughtful and lengthy answers. But when this head coach was asked about the offensive performance that saw the unit he manages put up 38 points and over 400 yards?

“They were good. Balanced,” Schottenheimer said.

And that was all.

Such was the abnormality of the answers and the length of the press conference that Schottenheimer was even asked by the media if he was fine.

He replied with "“I’m great. Excited for our guys.”

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Fast-forward to Monday, and Schottenheimer was quizzed on the same subject.

He offered a longer - but still rather defiant answer.

The Cowboys kept their season alive in Philadelphia as both sides of the ball did their part, but we get the feeling that a lot of the attention will be on Schottenheimer and his post-game press conference, given how jarring it was.

Was he upset with that was written and said about him prior to the game?

"No,'' the coach replied. "I'll be honest I really do a good job of blocking you guys out. ... But no, at the end of the day, in this business you get paid to deal with the criticism and things that come with the job ... I mean, remember you're talking to a guy that grew up for 25 years in a household with a head coach in the NFL.

"So, no, it was more just my focus was getting the team to be focused and motivated.''

You as a Cowboys fan can choose whether to believe him. But this much is so: If a "pissed-off'' (Dak Prescott's words) Schottenheimer helps Dallas win football games?

Be miffed. Be short. Be clipped. Be thin-skinned. 

Just win.