The Dallas Cowboys' hiring of Brian Schottenheimer as the new head coach was met with a heavy level of skepticism. It is understandable to question hiring within for an organization that has yet to consistently return to playoff relevance. The most consistent trait of the franchise in recent seasons is an incredibly frustrating end to the season.
Schottenheimer is going to need to consistently prove that he is capable of elevating the team for this concern to disappear. Early camp comments aren't helping his case, with the head coach giving away that the team is expected to run two packages a bit more consistently.
Schottenheimer plans to run more Pistol and Wildcat formations in the 2025 season. Running Pistol more often makes a lot of sense, looking at the packages that Dallas can put on the field. Having a heavier group while being able to have elite receivers will create mismatches and situations that heavily favor the Cowboys.
However, the same cannot be said of Wildcat, with it being a clear mistake to take the ball out of Dak Prescott's hands. The veteran quarterback is your best decision-maker and shouldn't be taken out of this role with any regularity.
Cowboys Gave Away Offensive Strategy in Early Training Camp
Brian Schottenheimer, giving away some offensive secrets, said Cowboys will run some Wildcat and Pistol formations this year.
— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) July 23, 2025
With this in mind, Wildcat should only be run in very rare circumstances in an attempt to catch the defense off guard. It isn't something the team should lean on when you consider the options under center if you remove Prescott.
If the Cowboys had followed the obvious path and paid to land a top running back, this might be different. Having Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders hardly inspires great confidence or demands taking the ball out of Dak's hands.
For Schottenheimer, this seems an odd thing to reveal in the middle of the summer. There isn't any reason to give this information away, even if other teams are picking up on the intention. It is a misstep from a coach who is yet to have any real experience in an elevated role. The hiring has even led to some questioning whether Jerry Jones opted to pick a less proven coach to maintain more control.
Regardless, this is an interesting statement that could expose information the Cowboys didn't have to give. On the flip side, a contrarian could point out that this has yet to be proven. Dallas could simply throw this out with no intention of running it in the regular season. Regardless, it is an interesting headline as we continue to close in on the preseason.