The Dallas Cowboys were 2-2 heading into a Week 5 matchup with the 0-4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Injuries, coaching, and disappointing play led to a night of setbacks for Jerry Jones’ squad on Thursday night. Is Dallas’ playoff window already closing, and what does that mean for Brian Schottenheimer’s job security?
Schottenheimer was named Dallas’ new head coach ahead of the 2025 season. They had just parted ways with Mike McCarthy after five seasons and promoted the offensive coordinator.
Through his head coaching tenure, Schottenheimer is 9-12-1 thus far. He led Dallas to a 7-9-1 record last season, and the team missed the playoffs. Following Jones trading star edge rusher Micah Parsons, the defense was already at a disadvantage.
In 2025, Dallas ranked dead last in total points allowed per game (30.1) and pass yards allowed per game (251.5). They acquired defensive linemen Quinnen Williams and Rashan Gary, along with drafting safety Caleb Downs and edge rusher Malachi Lawrence.
In five weeks under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker, the Cowboys’ defense is still among the NFL’s worst. They rank 31st in total yards allowed per game (395.4), 32nd in rush yards allowed per game (168.4), and 26th in points allowed per game.
The Buccaneers have had a rough start to the year. Ahead of this matchup, they had scored more than 20 points only once this season. Their starting QB, Baker Mayfield, suffered a thumb injury in Week 3. The team has turned to rookie UDFA Jalon Daniels.
After a dismal 2025 season, fans and analysts have had Bowles on the hot seat. A winless September reinforced that, and he may have been the first coach fired in 2026.
Dallas went into a Week 5 home game against a winless team and a rookie UDFA QB in his second start. The recipe for success was there, but they fell 24-16. Through the first three quarters, they were down 24-10, and the game already seemed over.
This wasn’t a must-win game for the now 2-3 Cowboys; it was a can’t-lose game. They’re currently third place in the NFC East behind the 3-1 New York Giants and the 2-2 Philadelphia Eagles.
The Cowboys struggled to keep the ball in the second half of this game. They had three drives in the third quarter that resulted in the ball going back to Tampa. Dak Prescott threw an interception, KaVontae Turpin fumbled a kick return, and they turned the ball over on downs.
Dallas scored on a touchdown pass to George Pickens in the fourth and failed on the two-point conversion. The team was down by eight points with nearly four minutes left and the ball back in its possession. The drive ultimately ended in a tipped catch attempt by Jake Ferguson and an interception by Alex Anzalone.
Four second-half turnovers are bad enough, but the first half was nearly just as bad. After a first-quarter touchdown, Dallas punted on its next three drives. An explosive offense with Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and Pickens should not struggle that way early on.
The Buccaneers controlled time of possession in this game, holding the ball for 39 minutes and 21 seconds; nearly twice as long as the Cowboys. Tampa Bay only held the ball for one more drive than its opponent, and rushed for 241 yards.
The Cowboys now have 10 days to lick their wounds ahead of a Week 6 matchup with the Green Bay Packers. Schottenheimer’s squad will go into a Sunday night primetime game for the first time since its Week 1 loss to the Giants.
Owner and general manager Jerry Jones wasn’t happy about this loss either.
“Extraordinarily, extraordinarily disappointed… You really do need to get it done when it’s there to take… Boy, I’ve been so disappointed before with losses, but this was disappointing.”
The Cowboys’ schedule is an up-and-down experience through the rest of the season. They’ll face the Packers and the Eagles over the next two weeks. After that, they meet the Arizona Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, and San Francisco 49ers.
It’s not until Week 14 that Dallas will have a bye. That comes after meetings with the Tennessee Titans, a rematch with Philly, and an away game with the Seattle Seahawks. After the bye, they have to go through the Los Angeles Rams and the Jacksonville Jaguars before finishing up against the Giants and the Washington Commanders.
Schottenheimer may already be coaching for his job in year two. Jones has playoff expectations for his roster, and Dallas hasn’t reached that expectation since 2023.
McCarthy is a Super Bowl-winning coach and led Dallas to a 50-38 record; he was out in five years. Schottenheimer is still growing, but Jones’ patience may already be wearing thin.
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