Brian Schottenheimer made a bold prediction about the Cowboys and there's clear evidence to back it up

In his first official day as Dallas Cowboys head coach, Brian Schottenheimer predicted his team would win championships.

The bold predictions aren't slowing down any time soon. 

"You guys know me—I don't mind making bold predictions," Schottenheimer told reporters on Wednesday. "I think we're going to be one of the top takeaway teams in the league on defense." 

This one might not come off as outrageous as a Super Bowl win does to a fanbase that's been waiting for a sixth ring for 30 years but it's still a courageous one. However, there's evidence to back up what Schottenheimer is saying. And it starts with how defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus runs his defense. 

"Matt Eberflus and his staff have done an incredible job. If you watch their individual drills and what they do—it's all ball drills," Schottenheimer added. "What I saw yesterday was great intentionality. We can’t wrap up right now—we’re kind of tagging off—but the intentional punch these guys are throwing, the focus, and the way you see their eyes on the ball—that stands out."

It's easy for Schottenheimer to say it about his own staff but takeaways have been a signature of Eberflus' defenses for a long time. Even Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said it in January after securing a Super Bowl berth:

"We (Eagles) do a lot of drills that go into (forcing turnovers), we talk a lot about that, we show any time that there's a missed opportunity to take the ball away. That's something I learned as I watched Matt Eberflus [in Indianapolis] and how he preached defense of how you take the ball away, I really learned a lot from him when I was in Indy with him."

- N. Sirianni, 2025

The numbers back it up, too: Eberflus' Bears ranked 10th in takeaways for the year and 9th in turnover differential. Even though he was fired, his defense was a strength of the team and upon his departure, the unit declined. 

In four years as defensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts, Eberflus' units never ranked worse than 11th in takeaways. His defenses finished fifth in takeaways in 2020 and second in 2021.

So when you see Cowboys players taking the ball away in practice, know it's the result of intentionality from Eberflus and Co. If it translates to the regular season, expect Schottenheimer to be the least surprised person on the team.