Dallas Cowboys' Problems Run Deeper Than Schottenheimer

Segment Spotlight: Quick Hits From Game Time Decisions

Dallas Cowboys Face Familiar Questions After Another Embarrassing Loss

Despite claims that Schottenheimer remains secure in Dallas, questions continue to surround the coaching staff. The Cowboys brought in a young, first-time defensive coordinator and placed him in a difficult situation. They also traded a generational talent to Green Bay. Although they added Quinnen Williams and other players, the defense continues to look outmatched.

Schottenheimer was expected to elevate Dak, but the team appears to be repeating the same cycle. A coaching change may be necessary, although firing Schottenheimer alone would not solve the larger problem in Dallas.

Jerry Jones is a Hall of Famer who built a beautiful stadium and turned the Cowboys into an enormously valuable franchise. However, the belief is that meaningful change will not happen until he allows someone else, other than his son, to run the team. At the same time, Jones owns the Cowboys and has every right to operate the franchise as he chooses.

The concern is that any future head coach would simply be another handpicked choice who may not belong in the position. Mike McCarthy represented a step outside that pattern, but when he believed changes were needed, he was also let go. Jimmy Johnson recognized long ago what was going to happen with the Cowboys.

Dallas may recover before Thanksgiving and return to around .500, renewing optimism before another disappointing loss brings back the same questions. Replacing Schottenheimer with another coach who lacks real authority is unlikely to make the team better.

The Cowboys have also limited their options with the money they have committed. They are now 2-4 after an embarrassing prime-time loss to the Tampa Bay Bucs and an undrafted rookie quarterback. Dallas was shut out in the first half, while its quarterback threw two red-zone interceptions in the second quarter as the team fell behind 17-0.

For Dallas, the pattern remains unchanged. Every year brings renewed hope, familiar mistakes and the same disappointing results.