Brian Schottenheimer Clarifies Why His Cowboys-Eagles Press Conference Was Cut Short

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The Dallas Cowboys got a much-needed win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night in a 38-21 finish over their injury-plagued rivals.
After an ugly two-game losing streak that brought with it tons of criticism, the Cowboys had no choice but to respond, or things could have gotten messy fast for head coach Brian Schottenheimer, who lives to see another day as Dallas' head coach.
Following the win in Philadelphia, Schottenheimer spoke with reports for an unusually-short amount of time. The answers were shorter than usual and his demeanor was controlled instead of giddy after a divisional win. The press conference lasted just 4:15 seconds.
When asked if he was good, Schottenheimer simply said, “I’m great. Excited for our guys.”
Brian Schottenheimer Says It Wasn't Personal

Once the team got back to Texas on Tuesday, Schottenheimer touched on why his was short with reporters after the game.
It wasn't personal with the media, at least according to him. It's clear his focus on what's ahead given the fact that Dallas still has a strong chance to win the NFC East and host a playoff game.
“No, I’ll be honest. I really do a good job of blocking you guys out," Schottenheimer said, per Jon Machota of The Athletic. "I think it was a big game for us. We’re motivated as a football team. I’m motivated as a head coach to get our guys playing to the standard that I know they’re capable of playing."
“So, no, it was more just my focus was getting the team to be focused and motivated. And I think you saw that (Monday) night, so I’m proud of our group.”
The two-game losing steak has created tons of negative headlines around Schottenheimer and the team, so it's understandable why he would be ready to move on with the press conference instead of laugh and joke with reporters like he often does.
Brian Schottenheimer Knows What He Signed Up For

But Schottenheimer admitted he expects the criticism and knows it comes with the job. Being around the NFL for his whole life certainly helps with this.
“Intense game against a real rival. 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 and that never (plays a role). Remember, you’re talking to a guy that grew up for 25 years in a household with a head coach in the NFL."
Schottenheimer and the Cowboys will need to remain focused while blocking out the noise as they prepare to host the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at 12 p.m. CT.
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Zach Dimmitt was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas and received his Bachelor’s Degree in journalism at the University of Texas at Austin in 2022. He currently is an editor and contributor across several ON SI team sites, including Deputy Editor for Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI, and contributes to the On SI channels for the Oregon Ducks, Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans. Zach started with SI’s Fan Nation network in 2021, providing extensive coverage of the NFL and NBA along with college football and basketball. During his career, Dimmitt has published thousands of stories and reached millions of people across multiple fan bases. You can follow him on X at @ZachDimmitt7.
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