Why Brian Schottenheimer Failed The Cowboys In Rio (And How)

The Dallas Cowboys lost to the Baltimore Ravens 34-31 in Brazil, and Mauricio Rodriguez believes there is one person who deserves the most criticism for the loss: head coach Brian Schottenheimer. This isn't about blaming Brian Schottenheimer for every mistake Dallas made. Dak Prescott could have made a better throw on third-and-goal. Brandon Aubrey had struggled with kickoffs. The Cowboys were dealing with major injuries throughout the defense. But Mauricio identifies four separate decisions Schottenheimer made during the final stretch of the game that he believes ultimately cost Dallas the win. The first came on first-and-goal from the 2-yard line. Dallas had one timeout remaining and chose not to run the football. Mauricio is willing to give Schottenheimer some leeway because of the potential clock-management consequences if a run failed. The second decision is where Mauricio becomes much more critical. After Dak Prescott scrambled for two yards on second-and-goal, Schottenheimer immediately called timeout with 14 seconds remaining. Mauricio believes Dallas should have allowed the clock to run down several more seconds before calling timeout. His reasoning is simple: if an NFL play takes roughly six seconds, Dallas could have gotten another opportunity into the end zone while still leaving enough time for Brandon Aubrey to kick a game-tying field goal. Instead, the Cowboys called timeout immediately. That decision ultimately gave Baltimore seven seconds to work with after Dallas failed to score. The Ravens then gained 27 yards and kicked the game-winning field goal. Mauricio's third criticism is the controversial third-and-goal play. Brian Schottenheimer acknowledged after the game that he had "over coached" Dak Prescott and had instructed him to throw the football away if the defense didn't give him the desired look. Mauricio believes that was the wrong way to use Prescott. Instead of allowing Dak to read the entire defense and make the best decision available, the Cowboys effectively gave their quarterback one primary read: George Pickens. Mauricio believes Ryan Flournoy was potentially available over the middle as well, meaning a full progression could have created another opportunity for a touchdown. Then came another questionable decision after the Ravens got the ball back. Dallas elected to kick a touchback, giving Baltimore possession at the 35-yard line. Ravens head coach Jesse Minter later said that seven seconds was essentially the minimum amount of time Baltimore needed to attempt the play that ultimately set up the winning field goal. Mauricio believes Dallas could have attempted an inbounds kickoff instead, forcing Baltimore to return the ball and potentially starting the Ravens much deeper in their own territory. Finally, Mauricio turns his attention to Christian Parker's defensive call. With only seven seconds remaining, Dallas played man coverage and left practice-squad cornerback Reddy Stewart matched up against Zay Flowers. The Cowboys also ran a double stunt up front, but the rush generated almost nothing. Lamar Jackson had plenty of time to throw, and Baltimore hit the 27-yard completion that put them into position for the winning field goal. Instead, questionable decisions on offense, special teams and defense helped turn a potential victory into a 34-31 loss. Dallas is now 1-2, with the Houston Texans coming to town next. Was this simply a heartbreaking loss? Or was this a game the Cowboys' coaching staff gave away? Mauricio Rodriguez breaks down every major decision from the final stretch of Cowboys-Ravens and explains why he believes this was a coaching loss. Subscribe to A to Z Sports Dallas for daily Dallas Cowboys news, analysis, postgame reaction and coverage throughout the 2026 NFL season. 0:00 Brian Schottenheimer cost the Cowboys? 0:28 The Cowboys had multiple people to blame 1:29 Mistake No. 1: Not running on first-and-goal 2:36 Mistake No. 2: Calling timeout too early 3:27 Dallas should have waited 4:08 The Terrence Steele injury explanation 4:53 Mistake No. 3: The third-down play 5:26 Why Dak was over-coached 6:19 Ryan Flournoy was potentially open 6:41 Dak was given one read 7:23 Mistake No. 4: The kickoff 7:38 What Jesse Minter said 8:38 Brandon Aubrey's role 10:21 The final defensive call 11:32 Dallas' defensive line stunts failed 12:15 This was a coaching loss #DallasCowboys #Cowboys #BrianSchottenheimer #DakPrescott #NFL #CowboysNation Make A to Z Sports your preferred source on Google: https://google.com/preferences/source?q=atozsports.com Play A to Z Sports Daily Games: https://atozsports.com/games ✭ For more Cowboys coverage be sure to follow here: https://atozsports.com/nfl/dallas-cowboys-news/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AtoZDallas Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atozsportsdallas/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AtoZSportsDallas TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@atozsportsdallas