Brian Schottenheimer isn’t backing away from the pressure in Dallas, even with the team struggling to find its footing. The Cowboys’ head coach believes in his ability to lead the team, but that confidence has become a talking point as losses pile up.
ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith heard Schottenheimer’s latest remarks and had a blunt response, arguing that the Cowboys coach needs to let his results do the talking.
Stephen A. Smith Challenges Brian Schottenheimer’s Claim of Coaching Greatness
Schottenheimer drew criticism after defending himself during a Thursday news conference ahead of Dallas’ Week 7 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Cowboys coach acknowledged that some of the backlash was deserved before declaring his belief in his own abilities.
“I think it comes with the territory. I think some of it is deserved. We got to play better. I got to coach better,” Schottenheimer said.
He then explained that growing up with his father, longtime NFL coach Marty Schottenheimer, had prepared him for the scrutiny that comes with the job.
Schottenheimer added, “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.”
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On Friday’s First Take, Smith blasted Schottenheimer and argued that his record did not support such a bold assessment. The Cowboys coach has gone 9-13-1 across his first two seasons, including a 7-9-1 finish in 2025 and a 2-4 start to the current campaign.
“Respectfully, Brian Schottenheimer, you have no business classifying yourself as that,” Smith said. “That’s problem one, two, and three right there. He seems like a really nice man.”
Smith acknowledged that Dallas’ offense had performed well last season and noted Schottenheimer’s experience as an offensive coordinator in Seattle and Dallas.
However, he questioned the coach’s standing before Jerry Jones hired him in 2025, noting that he had not been calling plays in his previous role and had no other head-coaching offers lined up.
Before Dallas promoted him in 2025, Schottenheimer had not interviewed for another head-coaching vacancy that cycle.
Smith used a series of comparisons to explain why he believed the results mattered more than self-assessment.
“If your quarterback completed 41% of his passes, would you call him great? If your defense gave up 41 points a game, would you call them great?” he asked.
He also questioned why a team with an offense its own quarterback had praised as “goated” had struggled to produce over its recent stretch.
Dallas scored 16 points against Tampa Bay and 13 against Green Bay in consecutive losses, adding to the pressure on Schottenheimer. The team still ranks in the top 4 in PFN NFL Offense Impact%20assigns,red%20zone%20and%20third%20downs.) with a grade of 83.7, and only Buffalo, San Francisco and Jacksonville above them.
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Cowboys’ defense, though, ranks last in PFN’s Defense Impact Score with a 61.1 grade through six weeks.
“If your kids came home and got 41 on their test scores, would you call it great if they had a D?” Smith said. “I mean, come on… You just can’t do that.”
Smith stressed that he was not simply taking another shot at the Cowboys for entertainment. He described his criticism as being based on “bare-bones facts” and acknowledged that he likes Schottenheimer, while insisting that the coach needed to earn the label he had given himself.
“Go out there. What he would tell the players is, ‘Go out there and prove it.’ Brian Schottenheimer, go out there, and maybe you are, bro. Maybe you are great,” Smith said. “The record doesn’t say so.”
Schottenheimer doubled down on his confidence during a Friday appearance on 105.3 The Fan, calling himself an “elite play caller” and saying he had not considered giving up play-calling duties.
With Dallas sitting at 2-4 and facing a divisional matchup against Philadelphia, only his team’s performance will determine whether his statement was justified.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.