Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott offered a candid evaluation of the team's offensive identity through eight games of the 2026 season, stating, "Is it one we're proud of? I don't know. 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 playcaller Brian Schottenheimer, Dallas ranks near the bottom of the NFL in pre-snap motion rate (36.5%, 31st), play-action rate (24.2%, 21st), and under-center rate (30.4%, 22nd). In 2025, the Cowboys ranked 13th in motion rate (56.6%), 9th in play-action rate (28.2%), and 11th in under-center rate (38.4%).
The shift coincides with a decline in rushing production to 94.1 yards per game (eighth-worst in the league) and a run rate of 32.5% (fifth-lowest). Prescott and Schottenheimer differ on the use of motion: the coach believes it can "cloud the picture" for a quarterback when trailing, while Prescott views motion as a tool to disguise core plays, identify defensive matchups, and gather pre-snap information.
Offensive tendencies comparison
Since 2025, the Cowboys' offensive profile has changed significantly:
Motion rate: 56.6% (13th) in 2025 vs. 33.8% (31st) in 2026
Play-action rate: 28.2% (9th) vs. 24.2% (21st)
Under-center rate: 38.4% (11th) vs. 35.7% (22nd)
Shotgun rate: 61.6% (22nd) vs. 64.3% (11th)
Run rate: 41.5% (24th) vs. 35.5% (28th)
Tempo (average time between snaps): 32.9 seconds (fastest) vs. 33.8 seconds (fastest)
If Schottenheimer does not reintroduce the schematic elements that simplified decisions for Prescott, the offense may struggle to compensate for a defense that continues to allow high scoring.
