Sports
In recent seasons, the Dallas Cowboys have endured plenty of struggles, not only because of disappointing results, but also because, at times, they seem to bring the pain upon themselves. The sheer number of penalties they commit, on both offense and defense, often for basic mistakes, is staggering. Listing them all would make for an unnecessarily long inventory. Any infraction one could imagine, they have likely committed.
Since 2020, the team has consistently ranked among the most penalized in the league. This preseason, which opened with a loss to the Los Angeles Rams, proved no exception. Once again, they fell victim to the same recurring issue: costly fouls.
Micah Parsons appears frustrated at Cowboys training camp
Now, with Brian Schottenheimer taking the helm, he believes he has the answer to the problem that has long plagued the team.
It’s pretty simple… It’s discipline. I think you have to teach these guys. I’m not a guy that shies away from anything. If I call a guy out, it’s not because I don’t care about him. It’s that, hey, if this hurts our ability to win, and not just win, it’s to win a Super Bowl.
I have zero problem pointing those things out, but I think what happens is if you don’t point them out, then you’re almost making it seem to them like, oh, these are okay. They’re not okay. Obviously didn’t do a great job of it last year. We didn’t do a great job of it this past game.
Some might argue that this first preseason game should not be taken as an accurate indicator of what is to come, as many rookies saw significant playing time, an understandable cause for a lack of cohesion. Unfortunately, as noted, this is far from an isolated incident; it has been a persistent issue for years.
With Schottenheimer now in charge, the expectation is that the problem will be addressed and minimized, allowing the team to execute more efficiently and leave costly penalties behind. Nothing is guaranteed, but there is hope that the Cowboys can move out of the league’s top spots in that category. The key, according to the coach, is work, relentless work.
The Cowboys’ preseason
In their first outing against the Los Angeles Rams, the Cowboys looked disorganized. That might be understandable given the high number of rookies who played. However, the bigger concern is that Joe Milton III -projected to be Dak Prescott’s backup after Cooper Rush’s departure– fell short of expectations.
The hope is that in their next game, against the Baltimore Ravens this coming Saturday, Milton can show improvement. Otherwise, the team’s stock heading into the regular season could drop further.
The Cowboys will close the preseason against the Atlanta Falcons, likely with greater involvement from starters to build momentum for the 2025 opener, a necessity given the challenge ahead.
On Thursday, September 4, Dallas will begin the regular season against the defending NFL champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, a critical test of Jerry Jones’s team’s true aspirations.
This news was originally published on this post .
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