"Spineless coaching," "Shameful": Cowboys fans flame Brian Schottenheimer for questionable 4th down play calling in OT as Packers game ends in tie

The Dallas Cowboys tied 40-all with the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night in Micah Parsons' homecoming - one that went to overtime. However, it could have ended much earlier than that, and it left fans furious.

On the first drive of overtime, Dak Prescott managed to find George Pickens, then Jalen Tolbert, for significant gains that sent the offense right inside the red zone. However, the drive stalled after he was sacked by Parsons while rushing to the end zone.

Rather than try another run, head coach Brian Schottenheimer called for a pass, which went incomplete. As a result, he was forced to deploy Brandon Aubrey for the kicker's first attempt.

And it had fans perplexed:

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"Should have gone for it on fourth down," one rued.

"When is he going to learn?" another wept.

"This one’s on Schottenheimer and the defense," another concluded.

After that play, the Cowboys still had another way to win: prevent the Packers from scoring at all. They got their best chance with 3:50 left, and the Packers facing a 4th-and-6 in their own 24.

Unfortunately for the defense, Jordan Love found Matthew Golden for 14 yards and a first down to extend the drive, which ended in the game-tying 34-yard field goal from Brandon McManus.

Cowboys HC Brian Schottenheimer reacts to 40-all tie vs. Packers

After the game, Brian Schottenheimer addressed the Cowboys’ performance. He praised the “special” bravery that his team showed in the high-scoring affair, even if the result was not what they wanted:

"We didn’t win tonight, and it’s all about winning. But I will go to war with these guys."

He also dared the other teams to deploy a quarterback who could perform better than Dak Prescott did (31/40, 319 yards, and three touchdowns)

Another person who spoke was wide receiver George Pickens, who shone in CeeDee Lamb’s absence with eight catches for 134 yards and two touchdowns. He said about his team’s performance (from 28:46) in the video below:

"I feel like we executed well on offense and defense. We stopped them just enough."

Next for the Cowboys is a visit to the New York Jets a week from now. Kickoff is at 1 pm ET on Fox,

About the author

Andre Castillo is an NFL journalist at Sportskeeda who holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and Master’s degree in Journalism. He has over seven years of working experience and has also covered MMA with FanSided, wrestling with The Sportster, and automobiles with Hot Cars.

Andre follows the New York Jets and the Washington Commanders, mostly because he likes their colors. His favorite position is tight end, and players like Mark Andrews and Travis Kelce have always drawn Andre's attention when watching a game. Bill Belichick is his favorite coach, and his all-time favorite Super Bowl is the XLII edition, when the underdog New York Giants upset the then-undefeated New England Patriots.

If he can change one moment in NFL history, it will be from the NFC Championship Game in January 2019. In that game, a highly controversial no-call cost the Saints what would have been Drew Brees' second Super Bowl visit, where he would have faced Tom Brady and the Patriots.

Andre is always on the lookout for fresh perspectives in a story and ensures complete factual accuracy by double-checking all information before using it in his articles. He has an innate understanding of how to present information in an efficient and compelling way.

Outside the writing realm, Andre is a professional licensed teacher. His hobbies include watching UFC, MotoGP, playing the piano, and travelling.

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Edited by Andre Castillo