FRISCO, Texas -- Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott offered a blunt assessment of the team's offensive identity through eight games of the 2026 season. "Is it one we're proud of? I don't know," Prescott said Thursday. "We'll be better, I can promise."
Despite averaging 27.4 points per game, the Cowboys' offense has become less varied and less quarterback-friendly compared to 2025. Under offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, Dallas ranks near the bottom of the NFL in pre-snap motion, play-action usage, and under-center formations.
Statistical comparison shows a sharp decline: motion rate dropped from 56.6% (13th) to 33.8% (31st), play-action rate from 28.2% (9th) to 24.2% (21st), and under-center rate from 38.4% (11th) to 35.7% (22nd). The team now runs the ball at the fifth-lowest rate in the league (32.5%) and averages 94.1 rushing yards per game, eighth-worst in the NFL.
Prescott and Schottenheimer differ on the value of motion. Schottenheimer believes motion can "cloud the picture" for a quarterback, especially when trailing. Prescott sees motion as a tool to disguise core plays, identify defensive coverages, and create favorable matchups. "Sometimes it's just to dress it up and take the defense, give them a different look of us running a core play and breaking some tendencies," Prescott explained.
If the offensive approach does not adjust, the Cowboys may struggle to stay competitive while their defense continues to struggle.
