FRISCO, Texas — After eight games, Dak Prescott was frank when asked if the Cowboys have a clear offensive identity.
“We’re not sure it’s one we can be proud of,” he said, adding, “We’ll be better, I can promise.”
Dallas is averaging 27.4 points per game, but its offense has become noticeably less diverse and less tailored to the quarterback in 2026. The team has sharply reduced pre-snap motion and is using play action and under-center snaps less often than a year ago. Compared with the previous season, motion use has fallen from about 56.6% (13th in the league) to roughly 33.8% (31st). Play-action has dipped from 28.2% (9th) to 24.2% (21st), and under-center snaps have slipped from 38.4% (11th) to 35.7% (22nd). The Cowboys are in the shotgun a bit more now (up to about 64.3% from 61.6%) while their run rate has declined. Their offense still pushes pace — averaging the quickest time between snaps leaguewide.
The shift in approach reflects a philosophical split between offensive play-caller Brian Schottenheimer and Prescott. Schottenheimer believes motion can be harder to manage when a team is playing from behind and that it sometimes “clouds the picture” for a quarterback. Prescott views motion differently: he says it can disguise the play, force the defense to reveal matchups, create favorable alignments and generally give him more information before the snap.
If Schottenheimer doesn’t bring back some of the simpler, more quarterback-friendly elements that had helped Dallas previously, Prescott and the offense could have trouble compensating for a defense that has been porous this season.
Fan Take: This matters because how the Cowboys balance scheme and quarterback comfort could affect their chances in a crowded NFC — and teams often copy what works. If Dallas restores more motion and play-action to unlock Prescott, it could reinforce the value of pre-snap movement across the league; if not, it may be a cautionary example of coaching philosophy clashing with a franchise QB’s strengths.
Source: www.cbssports.com
