The Dallas Cowboys made an interesting choice when they hired Brian Schottenheimer to replace former head coach Mike McCarthy. McCarthy had led Dallas to three straight 12-win seasons and was a former Super Bowl winner with the Green Bay Packers. But the Cowboys never got over the hump, losing all three playoff games during his tenure and finishing 7-10 last season.
Several big names were tossed around before the Cowboys settled on Schottenheimer. The offensive coordinator for the past two seasons, Schottenheimer was familiar with the team but lacked previous head coaching experience.
The move will be under a microscope when the Cowboys take the field next season. But it appears it’s already paying dividends with a pair of free agents that just landed in Dallas.
Javontae Williams, Miles Sanders Praise Brian Schottenheimer's Culture With Cowboys
Free agent acquisitions Miles Sanders and Javonte Williams praised Schottenheimer when they were introduced on Wednesday. While both players had a good reason to come to Dallas and revive the Cowboys’ 21st-ranked rushing attack, they also cited Schottenheimer’s culture as a key selling point.
“I feel like I made the right decision,” Sanders said via NFL.com’s Kevin Patra. “This is a fit for me, and I like what coach [Schottenheimer] is doing – as far as identity. I came from stuff like that. I’m just ready to ball out and contribute to the team.”
Williams had a similar comment, noting that he wanted to help build a championship culture in Dallas.
“I just really wanted to be part of the change,” Williams said. “I know it’s a lot of changes that have happened here, and I like the way coach Schotty is talking. … I want to help build a winning, championship culture, like I do everywhere I go – just put my nose down and do whatever I gotta do for the team.”
The Cowboys lost leading rusher Rico Dowdle in free agency as he signed a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers. But he was also part of a struggling rushing attack. Ezekiel Elliott and Dalvin Cook couldn’t find the fountain of youth in Dallas and it showed as the Cowboys ranked 27th in the NFL with four yards per carry.
The ineffectiveness caused the Cowboys to abandon the run often, finishing with just 429 rushing attempts. But McCarthy was the one calling the plays and it could have been a reason why the Cowboys decided to pivot to Schottenheimer.
In his previous stints as an offensive coordinator with the Seattle Seahawks, Schottenheimer’s offense ranked second and third in rushing attempts during the 2018 and 2019 seasons. The Seahawks had the league’s No. 1 and No. 4 rushing offenses during those two seasons, anchoring their ground game to Chris Carson.
Williams and Sanders have the ability to fill a similar role. Williams averaged 186.3 carries in his four seasons with the Denver Broncos excluding a 2022 campaign where he suffered a torn ACL after four games. Sanders also toted the ball frequently, averaging 184.7 carries in his first four seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Both players have shown that they’re willing to carry the ball when their number is called and it could help Schottenheimer lead the Cowboys to rebound in 2025.