It’s easy to point the finger at Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer, and anyone who does so will not be doing so alone. There were multiple specific instances where it appeared Schottenheimer had gotten far too conservative in the disastrous 33-30 loss to the Cardinals on Sunday, and he can take the blame for the Cowboys’ failure to use George Pickens and their adherence to a run game that was not working. More generally, Schottenheimer can take the blame for the overall lack of discipline on the team, a trait that has shown itself all too often here in the first half of the 2026 NFL season.
Schottenheimer brought a reputation as a player’s coach to the Dallas job when he was selected to replace Mike McCarthy in January 2025. He appears too often to let players take advantage of his positive disposition.
But don’t tell that to Von Miller, the Cowboys’ veteran edge rusher and two-time Super Bowl champion, who has had about enough of the criticism that Schottenheimer is getting amid this 3-5 start. Miller said this is not a coaching issue–it’s a player issue.
Von Miller: Sometimes Kids Are ‘Not a Reflection of You as a Parent’
Miller, via Jon Machota of The Athletic, gave a lengthy response when asked about the state of the Cowboys and how much blame the coaching staff should get. He started with a parenting analogy.
Said Miller: “I’m a parent. I got three kids. Sometimes you raise your kids a certain way and you teach them lessons. You expect them to act a certain way when they go out.
“And sometimes the kids just go out there and do things that are not a reflection of who you are as a parent. And I use that reference for our coaching staff. We have amazing coaches that keep us prepared, ready to go mentally, physically, emotionally. They breathe life into us, and just for whatever reason, that’s the product.”
Cowboys Players Deserve the Blame
After that, though, Miller turned his attention to his Cowboys teammates, who did not block well, who did not run sharp routes, who did not play well in coverage, and who committed some truly boneheaded mistakes (hello, Rashan Gary).
The Cowboys are mature enough, Miller said, to know better, mature enough to take the blame they deserve.
He went on: “The product that went out there is not a reflection of our coaching staff. This is pro sports. This is not parenting. So at the end of the day, the buck has to stop somewhere. Somebody’s going to get the blame.
“But my opinion, this is just me, I don’t know nothing about football. I only played 16 years. We’ve got great coaches. We’ve got a great coaching staff. And that’s not a reflection of how they coach us and get us ready every week.”
Cowboys’ 16-Year Veteran Lays Blame on Teammates for Collapse