It’s time to give Brian Schottenheimer his flowers.
The first-year Dallas Cowboys head coach was batted around like a piñata this offseason when Jerry Jones promoted him, with some NFL observers believing it was a bone-headed decision by hiring his offensive coordinator after moving on from Mike McCarthy.
Jones’ critics railed that he did not go through his due diligence by opening the selection process and interviewing more qualified candidates. They also surmised that Schottenheimer was not qualified for the job and only selected because he would do whatever Jones wanted him to do.
I wrote soon after Schottenheimer was hired that he had the coaching chops to handle the job and the Cowboys would benefit from keeping continuity with the in-house hire. And after a tumultuous training camp that ended in the Micah Parsons trade and a slow start, Schottenheimer has Dallas on a positive trajectory. The Cowboys have won three straight and are at 6-5-1, sitting 1.5 games behind the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles (8-4) heading into a critical Thursday night matchup on the road against the Detroit Lions.
Dallas leads the NFL in total offense (393.1 yards per game) and ranks second in scoring offense (29.3 points per game). Schottenheimer has a good relationship with Dak Prescott, who is having an MVP-worthy season.
Winners of three straight, the Cowboys need a win tonight to keep the pressure on the Eagles. But Schottenheimer deserves Coach of the Year consideration for how he’s handled a very difficult situation in his first year as the head of the Cowboys.
Now, let’s take a closer look at who’s hot and who’s cold heading into Week 14.
WHO’S HOT
The vocal leader in the middle of one of the top defenses in the league, Jones keyed a dominant performance by the Seahawks, finishing with 12 combined tackles and two interceptions, including one returned for an 85-yard score as Seattle shut out the Minnesota Vikings last week.
Jones leads Seattle with 83 combined tackles. His five interceptions are tied for second-most in the league and tops among linebackers. Sam Darnold has struggled at times in big games so far this season, but the way Jones and the defense are playing still gives the Seahawks a chance to make a deep playoff run.
Unwanted and discarded by the Indianapolis Colts as an afterthought in that team’s trade for All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner, Mitchell is already paying dividends for his new team. Mitchell finished with eight receptions for 101 yards, including a 52-yard reception for a score in New York’s 27-24 victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 13.
Taken in the second round of the 2024 draft, Mitchell is immensely talented and just needs to hone those skills so he can consistently perform as he did against the Falcons. That includes cutting down on his drops. We’ll see if the Jets can unlock that potential.
The running back tandem of D’Andre Swift and Monangai battered the Eagles for 255 yards. Monangai, a late-round pick out of Rutgers, finished with a team-high 130 rushing yards in Chicago’s big win over Philadelphia. The Bears are averaging 154 rushing yards per game, No. 2 in the NFL.
Much like Chicago head coach Ben Johnson had with Jahmyr Giggs and David Montgomery as Detroit’s offensive coordinator, Monagai and Swift have formed a potent tandem, providing balance for Caleb Williams and the passing game. Monagai’s 591 rushing yards are fourth in the NFL among rookies.
Brian Schottenheimer, HC, Dallas Cowboys
How connected are the Cowboys? Here’s Prescott, Schottenheimer and Jones biting off the same turkey leg after the team’s Thanksgiving Day victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
Watch out, Detroit.
The Alabama product was solid in his team’s upset win at home over the Los Angeles Rams, finishing 15 of 20 for 206 yards, with three touchdown passes and no interceptions for a 147.1 passer rating. Panthers head coach Dave Caneles has done a nice job of creating an offense that accentuates Young’s skill set, leaning on a running game led by Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle.
At 7-6, the Panthers have a chance to challenge the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South. And Young’s efficient play in leading the offense gives Carolina a chance to win each week.
WHO’S COLD
Kevin O’Connell, HC, Minnesota Vikings
It’s hard to decipher who should shoulder the blame for the failure in Minnesota for handling the quarterback situation this offseason. Was it ownership that said they did not want to pay Sam Darnold? Or was it Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell that wanted to move on?
Whoever made the final decision, O’Connell was left holding the bag and trying to do his best to get J.J. McCarthy playing winning football. So far, he’s failed as McCarthy has been the worst quarterback in the league for a team expected to compete for an NFL North title. The one good thing for O’Connell is his track record for facilitating efficient quarterback play in a quarterback-friendly offense, and the fact that McCarthy is still in his second season.
Like several young players entering the league, Dart is choosing to learn the hard way. His response to taking an unnecessary massive hit along the sideline against the New England Patriots after missing games due to suffering repeated concussions is a failure by the Giants’ organization to fully educate the Ole Miss product on the realities of the NFL.
Big hits will end your career sooner rather than later. If you want to get paid, you need to stay healthy. And it’s also about being available for your teammates and the long-term health of a player. Staying on the field and finishing your career healthy means avoiding big hits unless it’s a critical moment in the game. Dart must quickly realize avoiding these collisions is bigger than proving his manhood as a player.
It’s pretty rare to hear a player like Cleveland Browns defensive lineman Shelby Harris speak so frankly and disparagingly about a player. But Harris took offense to something Jennings said when Harris’ teammate Maliek Collins was carted off the field after sustaining a season-ending quad injury.
Jennings had been hit below the belt by Panthers safety Trevon Moehrig after some feisty behavior between the two during their matchup in Week 12. Jennings is a player that likes to get under an opponent’s skin, someone players like on their team but can’t stand it when they are playing against them. Think Richard Sherman.
However, Jennings appeared to cross the line against the Browns.
It’s predictably that time of year again when the “Fire Tomlin” chants appear after another season in which the Steelers underperform, hovering around the .500 mark led by another aging quarterback on the downside of his career. After starting 4-1, the Steelers have lost five of their last seven games.
Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
Yes, Tomlin hasn’t won a playoff game since 2017. But he also has not had a losing season in 19 years as Pittsburgh’s head coach, and I would be surprised if he moves on at the end of this season. Tomlin has a chance to quiet critics with a win on the road against the Baltimore Ravens. But can his defense tame Lamar Jackson and Baltimore’s running game?
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on X at @eric_d_williams.
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