It was notable on Monday night that, after a week of criticism and speculation about whether his job was on the line in Week 7, Dallas Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer conducted what many in the room surmised was his shortest, most matter-of-fact press conference in 24 games as the team’s head coach. Schottenheimer is normally conversational and affable in his meetings with the media, even after losses. . But after a week of tough scrutiny following two difficult losses, to the Packers in Week 7 and the Buccaneers in Week 6, Schottenheimer went full Belichick in his postgame remarks following the Cowboys’ 38-21 victory.
From Jon Machota of The Athletic, a sentiment echoed by other Cowboys beat writers: “Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer was very short with his postgame responses. The entire news conference was about 4 minutes. They’re usually at least 10. Asked if everything was OK, he responded: ‘I’m great. Excited for our guys.'”
Dak Prescott Saw ‘Hungry’ Cowboys Coach
Left without the usually descriptive Schottenheimer answers, the Cowboys press crew turned to ask Dak Prescott, who had also gotten his fair share of blame for the team’s recent struggles, what was up with Schottenheimer and his demeanor. Prescott was all for it.
Via Tommy Yarrish of the team’s website, Prescott said that Schottenheimer was “hungry” and “pissed off” about the state of the Cowboys heading into Week 7. He was not surprised to find his coach running short in his press conference–he knew well that many in the room had been among those with the harshest criticism.
Said Prescott: “It’s not like he’s naïve, it’s not like he hasn’t heard some noise about him, whether it’s calling the games or whatever doubt that’s been out there. But we’ve got his back, he knows that. He’s a guy that takes a lot of pride in his job, a lot of pride in his team. Everybody handles everything different, so I don’t blame him to an extent. We’ve got his back, more importantly, it’s just about us going out there and executing on Sundays.”
Brian Schottenheimer: ‘It Comes With the Territory’
Schottenheimer had been asked during the week about the criticism he gets as the head coach of the Cowboys, a job that is magnified because of the prevalence of the Dallas brand. He was a lot less terse and “pissed off” at that time. Apparently, it festered.
Said Schottenheimer during the week: “I think it comes with the territory. I think some of it is deserved. We got to play better. I got to coach better. When you grow up in a family that your dad is a head coach for over 20 years, you understand that this is part of the job description.
“No one likes it. I block out most of it. Some of it gets to me. Doing this job and having to speak to you guys is part of that. But at the same time, I’ve got strong shoulders. I know what a great coach I am. I know what this team is capable of. That’s what I focus on.”
Cowboys’ Dak Prescott Sounds off After Coach’s Postgame Actions