ESPN analysts debate Dallas Cowboys' promotion of Brian Schottenheimer to offensive coordinator

The Dallas Cowboys shunned complacency with their decision to remove Kellen Moore as the offensive coordinator after four seasons. However, the move comes with plenty of risks. Following Mike McCarthy’s promotion of coaching consultant Brian Schottenheimer to offensive coordinator, ESPN analysts Mike Tannenbaum and Chris Canty debated whether the choice will result in improvement in 2023.

“I don’t know, I don’t see it that way,” Canty said on Get Up. “I look at the Cowboys coaching staff and I say there’s a reason why the Cowboys had to promote from within to fill the offensive coordinator vacancy. Nobody around the national football league wanted to touch this job because your head coach is going into 2023 on the hot seat.

“From that standpoint, looking at what the staff has constituted versus what they were two weeks ago, you can’t sell me that the Dallas Cowboys have better coaching around Dak Prescott. That’s the issue that I have. Kellen Moore found a job in less than 24 hours. The rest of the NFL didn’t look at Kellen Moore as if he was the problem for the Cowboys or Dak Prescott.”

Although the Dallas Cowboys did interview multiple other candidates to fill Kellen Moore’s role, the former 2005 Cowboys draft pick’s logic makes sense. Mike McCarthy taking over play-calling duties seems like an all-in move that either works or results in a regime change in Dallas.

Schottenheimer’s job hinges on reducing interceptions for Cowboys

Former NFL executive Mike Tannenbaum did not agree with his co-analyst. He believes Schottenheimer’s main job will be to reduce Prescott’s interception total, which jumped to a career-high 17 in 2022. Tannenbaum pointed out that Schottenheimer has several examples of making such improvements on his resume.

“The job here is, ‘We gotta fix Dak Prescott’s interceptions,’” Tannenbaum said. “Brian Schottenheimer helped Mark Sanchez lower his interceptions. His first two years in Seattle with Russell Wilson, the only two quarterbacks that threw less interceptions were Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees. If Brian Schottenheimer can do one thing, lower Dak Prescott’s interceptions, that will make a material difference in the performance of the team.”

Schottenheimer has been an offensive coordinator at multiple stops in the NFL, beginning with the New York Jets (2006-2011). He was with the St. Louis Rams from 2012-2014 and most recently with the Seattle Seahawks (2018-2020).

In between, he spent time at the collegiate level, serving as the offensive coordinator of the Georgia Bulldogs in 2015. In 2021, Schottenheimer was the pass-game coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars under Urban Meyer.