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Cowboys' 'Downside' A Warning For Brian Schottenheimer

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Adam Schultz | Last updated Jul 21, 2025 7:53 AM ET

The Dallas Cowboys' offense under Brian Schottenheimer has a lot of unknowns about it entering the 2025 season, but as training camp opens this week in Oxnard?

Maybe that is what makes all of this so fascinating.

With a passing attack led by Dak Prescott that has CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, and Jake Ferguson, along with what many hope is an improved offensive line and run game, Schottenheimer arrives in California with practices slated to start Tuesday ... and has some good pieces to work with.

Bleacher Report recently ranked Dallas' skill position players at No. 9 in their top 10 rankings, but also listed some doubts over each team's selections.

When it came to Dallas, the question marks raised were valid ones.

"Prescott has lacked durability and consistency, there's no telling how Pickens will acclimate to his new workplace, and Ferguson and Williams are not stars," Bleacher Report writes.

Prescott simply has to be healthy for a full season, something that he has struggled to do over the past five years. Then we look at Pickens and his fiery on-field personality, which some think could sink this Dallas ship.

Nothing we have heard out of the offseason suggests Pickens will be a problem, but again, we haven't seen him or the offense in a truly tough spot yet, but there's no doubt George is loving his time with the Cowboys so far.

As for Jake Ferguson and Javonte Williams not being stars, in truth, they don't need to be. They just need to be serviceable options when called upon.

A 600- or 700-yard season and a handful of touchdowns for Ferguson would do just fine, while for Williams, another 500- to 600-yard season and four or five touchdowns as part of the running back committee would be passable.

Can Schottenheimer get that out of his offense and keep it on the tracks? If Dallas is to have a successful season, he's going to have to.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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