Expectations for Cowboys have changed drastically with Schottenheimer replacing McCarthy

USA Today

09-07-2025

I'm usually a big believer in the betting markets and national odds makers but I'm having a tough time accepting the Cowboys are this big of long shots in 2025. Bottom 10 playoff odds? Are you kidding me? pic.twitter.com/ov23G9jirz
It's a positive vibes era for Cowboys Nation these days. A brand-new, player-friendly coaching staff is in place, morale around the Star has been boosted and an acclaimed rookie draft class is in place and ready to roll. The national media and local fanbase are at odds and a healthy, 'us versus them' attitude has been rostered.
Fresh starts have a way of instilling such feelings and it's one that hasn't been felt around these parts in five years. The year was 2020 and a certain Super Bowl-winning head coach named Mike McCarthy was hired to replace the stale Jason Garrett. McCarthy was handed a ready-made contender, and expectations were through the roof. So, it's fair to say the feelings of today are similar to that of the 2020 offseason. but expectations have changed considerably.
Even though Cowboys fans are optimistic, their expectations pale in comparison to what they were in 2020. Those McCarthy teams were touted as some as the most talented rosters since the Super Bowl years. They were seemingly already a contender under Garrett; they just couldn't figure out how to get over the postseason hump. That's what McCarthy was for.
It's important to remember, McCarthy wasn't brought in to get them more wins in the regular season. He was brought in to get them more wins in the postseason. It's what made his tenure such a massive failure. The Cowboys were repeatedly outcoached in the playoffs and their only success came against a lowly, eight-win Buccaneers team.
The scene for Schottenheimer is markedly different. Schottenheimer takes over a team that floundered through the previous season. Even before the Cowboys lost Dak Prescott for the second half of the season, they held a losing record that could've been worse. Poor performance, predictable play-calling and a windfall of injuries took their toll, and the Cowboys now enter 2025 as long shots to even make the playoffs, let alone make noise.
The world champion Philadelphia Eagles once again look to be the class of the NFL and the Washington Commanders, NFC East brethren, appear to be hard changing to join them at the top of the power rankings. Just finishing between the two in the final standings would constitute a win for Schottenheimer and that's likely where the Cowboys will have to finish if they want to make the playoffs.
It's safe to say the expectations are considerably lower for Schottenheimer than they were for McCarthy, but that's not to say patience will be as long. How McCarthy survived as long as he did is hard to explain. He didn't remotely approach the expectations placed on him when he was first hired. Will Schottenheimer be given the same grace?
Jerry Jones doesn't like to fire his head coaches before they've exhausted the terms of their deal, so Schottenheimer, like McCarthy, has that working in his favor. But McCarthy's Super Bowl pedigree and his three 12-win seasons bought him the benefit of the doubt. Schottenheimer won't be afforded those same benefits.
Even if a postseason appearance is a Vegas longshot, it's probably what the front office and the Cowboys fanbase expect from their new head coach in Year 1. To most outside analysts, a double-digit win total and close finish down the stretch would constitute victory. Playoffs or not. However much the two side differ in their expectations for the Cowboys this year, it's certainly a departure from where we were in 2020.
My, how the times have changed in Dallas.
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