Of course, it is not just the mere fact that the Cowboys have won three straight games to pull themselves back up over .500 as we push on into the NFL’s December stretch run. It’s not even the fact that the Cowboys have beaten the two Super Bowl contestants from last season and, indeed, the last two NFL champions more generally. What’s really attention-grabbing about this team as it stand right now is how different it has become in such a short period of time.
It was just three games ago, after all, that Dallas was embarrassed on Monday night at home against the Cardinals–playing without their starting quarterback–in a loss that could well go down as the worst of the season.
Since then, the Cowboys have added two new defensive players, gotten a raft of other defenders back healthy, gotten back to playing the high-powered offensive style they employed last year and suddenly look like a team no one would want to see in the NFC playoffs, coming off exhilarating wins over the Eagles and Chiefs. But there is still a small matter than needs dealing with: Getting to the playoffs.
Cowboys Need to Avoid ‘Looking Too Far Ahead’
And that’s got the attention of Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer. It’s not so much that he is not concerned about the team’s record or its outlook. It’s just that, after a good bit of success in recent weeks, he knows it can all be undone if the Cowboys start looking too far ahead, if they start worrying about winning the NFC East or getting into the playoffs via a wildcard.
He issued a pretty forthright warning to his players about peering into the future: Don’t do it.
“I’m not thinking about winning a division,” he said. “I’m thinking about having a great practice today and having great meetings this afternoon and cleaning up the things we’ve got to do, and then putting together a great third-down plan.
“From Day 1, I’ve–and it’s what I believe, and there’s different styles, but when you start looking too far ahead, whether it’s Game 1, preseason, end of season, you take your eye off what really matters. I think that’s when you don’t perform to your maximum capabilities because you’re distracted.”
(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)Dak Prescott #4 of the Dallas Cowboys celebrates a touchdown with CeeDee Lamb #88 during a game against the Kansas City Chiefs at AT&T Stadium on November 27, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. The Cowboys defeated the Chiefs 31-28.
Brian Schottenheimer Keeping Cowboys Focused on Present
Schottenheimer wants the Cowboys to remain focused on the things that can get them beat, starting with Thursday’s game against the Lions, an aggressive and physical team whose playoff hopes are nearly as much on the ropes as those of the Cowboys.
Dallas will need to get off to a better start than it did against the Eagles, who held a 21-0 lead over the Cowboys. They’ll need to be more secure with the ball than they were against the Chiefs, when Dak Prescott threw an interception and George Pickens nearly gave away a fumble at the goal line (Kavontae Turpin to the rescue).
“We talk more about ourselves than we talk about the opponent,” Schottenheimer said. “Our best ability to perform well and win games is based on what we do, how we perform, how we execute, not what the opponent does. We play really good opponents every week, but I just think it’s an important part of the process. And then, ultimately, when we get to a Super Bowl, it’s going to be no different.”
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