Brian Schottenheimer Reveals Tough Penalty Punishment At Cowboys Practice

FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys defense is jumping offsides far too often, and the Cowboys pull players out of practice for penalties, Dallas coach Brian Schottenheimer said Friday.

Schottenheimer made the comments on 105.3 The Fan’s Shan & RJ when the hosts asked how he coaches penalties. He split them into two groups: pre-snap penalties that cannot happen, and the unforced ones late in games.

“First of all, we talk a ton about penalties,” Schottenheimer said. “I mean, but I think it’s really important that you talk about there’s two types of penalties. I think we’ve talked about this before on the show. There’s the pre-snap penalties really that can’t happen. We know that. You can’t jump offsides. We’re jumping offsides way too much on defense. We know that.”

Schottenheimer said he has talked with defensive tackle Quinnen Williams about it.

“Talked with Quinnen about that. He understands that,” Schottenheimer continued. “He’s the first to tell you, ‘Hey, I have to be better.’ And then it’s those that we have to clean up.”

Williams had 7 tackles and 2 sacks in Sunday’s 33-30 overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals, including a sack of Gardner Minshew II on Arizona’s first snap of overtime. Dallas acquired him from the New York Jets at the 2025 trade deadline.

Brian Schottenheimer Says Rashan Gary Must Lower His Target

Late in the fourth quarter against Arizona, a roughing-the-passer penalty on outside linebacker Rashan Gary wiped out a third-down incompletion. Two snaps after Dallas won a challenge that overturned a catch at its own 2, Minshew threw a 14-yard touchdown to Trey McBride with 2:11 left, as Dallas Sports Journal reported.

“And then, of course, it’s the unforced ones late, like RG’s just got to be better,” Schottenheimer explained. “He’s got to lower his target on the roughing-the-passer penalty. We definitely point them out. We definitely coach them, and our guys are very receptive to the things that we’re saying.”

Arizona trailed 27-17 before that drive and went on to win 33-30 in overtime.

Schottenheimer Says Penalties In Practice Cost Players Reps

The Cowboys also take players off the field in practice for penalties, according to Schottenheimer, because a penalty hurts the whole team.

“There are penalties in practice that we remove guys, and you take them out and things like that,” Schottenheimer said. “Just because the unfortunate part is the penalties hurt the entire team.”

Dallas (3-5) plays at the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday at noon CT on FOX.