Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said a midseason coaching change was not on his mind after Sunday's 33-30 overtime loss at home to the Arizona Cardinals. The defeat left Dallas at 3-5 and raised further questions about head coach Brian Schottenheimer, whose record with the Cowboys stands at 10-14-1.
Dallas twice held a 14-point advantage and was ahead 24-10 with 14:20 remaining. The collapse marked the first time in franchise history that the Cowboys lost after leading by at least 14 points in the fourth quarter. At home, including playoff games, they had previously gone 202-0-1 when holding a lead of that size in the final period. Arizona also finished Sunday at 3-5.
Jones said the missed opportunities reflected failures throughout the organization rather than a problem attributable solely to Schottenheimer. He acknowledged that Dallas had put itself in position to win but failed to finish. In his 38 years as owner, Jones has dismissed a coach during the season only once, firing Wade Phillips in 2010. Recalling that decision, Jones said, "I don't see that here."
The Cowboys have yet to win consecutive games in 2026, despite an offense that has reached 30 points five times. That total is tied with the 6-1 Buffalo Bills for the league lead. Dallas and the 2-5 Houston Texans are the only teams with multiple defeats this season while scoring at least 30 points. Meanwhile, the Cowboys have surrendered 20 or more points in 15 straight games, the NFL's longest active streak.
Quarterback Dak Prescott also rejected placing responsibility on the head coach alone. He included himself, his teammates, coaches and support staff among those accountable for the result, arguing that singling out one person ignored the collective nature of the game. Prescott said the players needed to demonstrate their support for Schottenheimer and one another through their performance.
Schottenheimer acknowledged that improvement needed to begin with his own work while pointing to mistakes across all three phases. He also said Dallas needed to identify what had gone well, including its first-half performance and the pass rush provided by Quinnen Williams, with more football still ahead.
Arizona's comeback exposed further defensive problems for Dallas. Backup quarterback Gardner Minshew came off the bench and became the first NFL player this season to throw at least three touchdown passes in a game's fourth quarter.
Cardinals running back Tyler Allgeier contributed 191 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns, rushing for a career-best 147 yards on 11 carries. His runs included a 63-yard touchdown and a 52-yard gain along the left sideline. He became the league's first player in 2026 to record two runs of at least 50 yards in one game.
