The Dallas Cowboys are in the midst of a bizarre and very disappointing 2026 season, sitting at 3-5 and coming off of a 33-30 loss to the Cardinals in which mayhem broke loose in the fourth quarter, and turned a 24-10 lead into an overtime loss. As with every loss for this Cowboys team this year, there has been serious introspection and psychological reckoning going on, and on Thursday, it was quarterback Dak Prescott’s turn on the couch–er, in the media scrum at The Star.
Prescott is not having a bad year, with 2,046 yards in eight games, plus 14 touchdowns and five interceptions–three of which came on mishandled passes or because his receiver simply fell down. But he is the face of the franchise, so when struggles come, it falls on him.
As he said: “When you have the standards and expectations to go out there and score every play, and you’re not doing that, yeah, it’s frustrating. Each and every guy, I would be lying to you if I did not say each and every guy feels that in their own way.”
Cowboys Let Up on Aggressiveness
One of the questions that was bouncing around Frisco this week is whether the Cowboys have been aggressive enough, especially in closing out games. They turned conservative at the goal line in Week 3 in Rio against the Ravens, and that turned into a loss. They turned conservative, too, in the fourth quarter against the Cardinals, and that led to another loss.
Prescott was asked about aggressiveness on Thursday.
He said: “That’s been the game plan all week, of, starting fast and making sure we stay consistent with just our game plan and making sure the things that we want to do, it’s your fastball. Making sure we attack with that, we finish with that as well and make them change before we change and get away from anything. Words are all good but we’ve got to get out there and put it together.”
But he conceded he should make sure coach Brian Schottenheimer knows when the offense should be more forward: “For me to just speak up about it when I want it. I am just saying like, during the game at certain times, when I really feel it and I want it to make sure it is known and understood.”
Dak Prescott Wants More Emotion From Brian Schottenheimer
Interestingly, Prescott and the Cowboys are playing for one of the more rah-rah coaches in the NFL–at least in press conferences–but the QB said he does not get enough of that emotion when Schottenheimer is coaching, in-game.
Prescott was asked about more aggressive play-calling, but said he wanted a more verbally aggressive Schottenheimer instead: “I think (aggressiveness) is something I’ve done. I don’t think it’s it’s it’s not happening by any means. I was just more answering the being aggressive question, more than like plays aren’t getting called that I want. No, none of that. My point is maybe you know before that. whether it be just some encouragement, but like, ‘Hey, let’s go put these guys away, let’s go put one in the end zone.’ That maybe could go a long way.”
Much to think about, as usual.
Cowboys’ Dak Prescott Wants More ‘Encouragement’ From Brian Schottenheimer