It's time to have a conversation about Brian Schottenheimer's job security

A disheartening loss on Monday Night Football to the Arizona Cardinals sends the Dallas Cowboys into the bye week with a record of 3-5-1. They're expected to make a move at the NFL trade deadline, but it's hard to see how they can fix what's gone wrong on the defensive side of the ball without making wholesale changes.

Even if they land a superstar player, the defense has far too many holes to fill. They also have a scheme, led by defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, that's been under heavy scrutiny.

MORE: Cowboys defense gets ripped by Cardinals player with NSFW insult on national TV

What doesn't seem to be discussed enough, however, is the job security for head coach Brian Schottenheimer.

While it's true their defense has been the main culprit for their struggles in 2025, Schottenheimer is the one in charge of the entire team. He hasn't done enough to help his defensive coordinator figure out any solutions, which is why their poor performance continues to get worse.

Cowboys offense isn't without fault

Arizona Cardinals cornerback Denzel Burke breaks up a pass against Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Offensively, Schottenheimer isn't immune to criticism either, especially over the past two weeks.

Dallas has failed to deliver on multiple opportunities, and on Monday, they were terrible in the red zone. That included them managing just three points despite being inside the 10-yard line twice.

Been inside the 10 twice and only 3 points? Play caller not getting it done at the moment.
— BryanBroaddus (@BryanBroaddus) November 4, 2025

It's not an uncommon theme either, as the Cowboys entered this game 11th in the NFL in red zone percentage, but they've been trending in the wrong direction as they were middle of the pack (58.33%) in success rate over their past three games entering Week 9. That number will drop again after they were 1-3 on Monday.

Discipline is the biggest issue in Big D

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is introduced before the game against the Arizona Cardinals. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

In addition to their red zone woes, Dallas remains one of the most undisciplined teams in the NFL. They went into this game with the third-highest average penalties per game at 8.4. They were under that with six penalties for 55 yards, but that's still an inexcusable number.

What's worse yet, the penalties they're getting hit with are mental lapses, such as multiple pre-snap penalties in Week 8 vs. Denver and the taunting penalty George Pickens was slapped with late in the loss to Arizona.

MORE: Has Mazi Smith played his last down as a Dallas Cowboy?

Throughout Mike McCarthy's tenure, he was criticized for a lack of discipline. That problem persists under Schottenheimer, as does the lack of focus in key moments.

It's easy to like Schottenheimer. He's great in media sessions and comes across as one of the more personable coaches in the NFL. Perhaps that's why he's not getting as much heat as he deserves for this frustrating first half of the season.

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