Play-caller
- Calls plays: Brian Schottenheimer (HC) — confirmed. OC Klayton Adams "does not handle play calling duties, and instead assists Schottenheimer in constructing his gameplan each week" (dallascowboys.com, 2026 offseason coverage; also bloggingtheboys.com "year two of Brian Schottenheimer's offense," as-of 2026-07-07). Adams is retained for 2026 — Dallas blocked an Eagles OC-interview request (dallascowboys.com, Jan 2026).
- Tenure with team: HC/play-caller since Jan 2025 (entering year 2 calling); with organization since 2023 (OC 2023–24 under McCarthy, non-calling). Prior relationship with QB1: 4th consecutive season with Dak Prescott.
Last 3 play-calling stops (skip non-calling years):
| Stop (team, yrs) | PROE | Neutral pass% | Sec/play (neutral) | Motion% | PA% | 11 / 12 / 21% | Condensed% | RB tgt share | WR1 TS | Inside-10 pass% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAL 2025 (HC) | −1.0% (nfelo, 2025 season, as-of 2026-07-07) | 59.2% neutral DB rate (Sharp Football, 2025 season, page dated 2026-06-29) | 28.0 (Sharp Football, same) | UNVERIFIED (reported "heavy motion/shift" — insidethestar.com, dallascowboys.com, 2025) | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | 13.5% (computed from data/stats/2025/receiving.csv, nflverse) | Pickens 22.6% (17 g); Lamb 19.3% in 13 g — Lamb out-targeted Pickens 116–99 in their 12 full games together (nflverse cache; fantasylife.com 2026 cheat sheet) | UNVERIFIED |
| SEA 2018–20 (OC) | UNVERIFIED | 2018: league's most run-heavy, #1 rushing offense; 2020: 59.8% pass rate, his career pass-heaviest (footballguys.com, atozsports.com, retrieved 2026-07-07) | UNVERIFIED | — | high-PA vertical scheme (qualitative, footballguys.com) | — | — | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED |
| STL 2012–14 (OC) | UNVERIFIED | rebuilding-era conservative; career 12-season split 53.9% pass / 46.1% run (footballguys.com, retrieved 2026-07-07) | UNVERIFIED | — | — | — | — | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED | UNVERIFIED |
Read: Schottenheimer's history is run-tilted Air-Coryell (run game + vertical play-action), but with Dak and this receiver room his 2025 Dallas offense played essentially neutral (−1.0 PROE) at the league's highest play volume — Cowboys led the NFL in plays/game (Sharp Football 65.9; fantasylife also ranks DAL #1) with a 59.2% neutral dropback rate and heavy motion. The volume, not a pass-rate tilt, is the fantasy engine here; RB target share is low (13.5%), so the passing pie concentrates on Lamb/Pickens/Ferguson. Year-2 continuity of caller + QB + OL means the 2025 tendency table carries into 2026 at close to full weight.
Scheme family
- Run scheme: gap/duo-leaning with zone mixed — Klayton Adams (former Cardinals OL coach) built one of the league's most physical, downhill run games in 2025 ("architect behind one of the league's most potent rushing attacks," dallascowboys.com/thelandryhat, 2026). Fits between-tackles grinders with contact balance — exactly Javonte Williams' 2025 usage (252 carries, 4.8 YPC, 11 TD). Satellite backs (Blue) are change-of-pace only.
- Pass-game family: Coryell-family vertical play-action married to heavy motion/shift — boundary iso for Pickens (X, deep aDOT, high air-yards share 31.4% in 2025 per nflverse cache), movement/slot leverage for Lamb, PA seams for Ferguson. Implication: mid-to-high team aDOT (8.2, nfelo 2025), big WR1/WR2 target concentration, thin WR3 volume.
