Dallas Cowboys new head coach Brian Schottenheimer is rearranging the offense as training camp gets going, and fans should be excited about it. There have been hints of the new-look offense in the team’s recent workouts, including increased movement, more formations, and a genuine attempt to keep defenses off balance. Now, Schottenheimer is opening up about what fans can expect.
Brian Schottenheimer Opens Up About Cowboys’ New-Look Offense
The Athletic’s Jon Machota recently shared some behind-the-scenes info from Cowboys camp that gives us a peek into Schottenheimer’s mindset.
“Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer is trying everything to prevent having a ‘static’ offense,” Machota posted. “We saw more motion and shifts, and the QB under center yesterday. But today, he added that we’re gonna see plenty of QB work in shotgun, in the pistol, and even some wildcat.”
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer is trying everything to prevent from having a “static” offense. We saw more motion/shifts and QB under center yesterday. But he added today that we’re gonna see plenty of QB work in shotgun, in the pistol, and even some wildcat pic.twitter.com/Z6Qv4xyjpY
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) July 23, 2025
The Cowboys will have a variety of looks, to put it simply. In an effort to confuse opposing defenses, they will be altering their formations and pre-snap movements. As the tweet noted, Dallas is even mixing in some wildcat offense where the ball is snapped directly to a non-QB. The Miami Dolphins famously relied on the wildcat offense regularly throughout the 2008 season, with RBs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams often taking the snap.
That kind of creativity is refreshing given the weapons Dallas currently possesses. Dak Prescott has a terrific one-two punch at wide receiver in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. Pickens is a big-play threat, while Lamb remains the reliable, high-volume receiver that opponents must gameplan to contain. Schottenheimer’s new-look offense may give them even more opportunities to shine.
Prescott is coming back from a season-ending hamstring injury, and this approach could be exactly what he needs to get back into a groove. If Dallas can keep defenses guessing, it will make Prescott’s life much easier.
According to PFSN’s Offense+ metric, the Cowboys had the No. 23-ranked offense in the NFL last season (after back-to-back-to-back top-seven grades). They finished 17th in total yards, and Prescott’s injury certainly played a role in their struggles.
While Schottenheimer was the offensive coordinator last year, it’s clear he is planning to mix things up and try new things this season.
Schottenheimer’s approach lines up with what typically works in today’s NFL. The most effective offenses cause confusion, force mismatches, and make things as tough as possible on the defense. The Cowboys are hoping to do just that in 2025.
