With several defensive additions and Christian Parker’s hiring as defensive coordinator, the hope was that the Dallas Cowboys had finally addressed the issues that plagued them on that side of the ball last season. Unfortunately, six games into the year, those problems persist.

To make matters worse, the Cowboys’ offense has also taken a step back. Now sitting at 2-4, the turn of events has some analysts calling for a major shake-up, with head coach Brian Schottenheimer among the first names they want gone.

NFL Analysts Have Lost Faith in Brian Schottenheimer’s Cowboys

After his success as the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator, Schottenheimer was chosen to succeed Mike McCarthy as head coach last season. Dallas won just seven games, but the Micah Parsons trade just before the season and a struggling defense were widely seen as major reasons for the team’s disappointing campaign.

This season, the offense looked much better through the first four weeks, but that momentum has disappeared. Over the past two games, Dallas has averaged fewer than 17 points per game after scoring more than 30 per game over the first four weeks.

The Cowboys currently rank No. 6 in the league with a PFN Offense Impact Score of 80.4. Still, Sunday night’s 23-13 loss to the Green Bay Packers may have been the team’s worst performance yet. The offense graded out at 68.0 on Sunday night.

A week after losing to undrafted rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Cowboys have given analysts even more reason to question the coaching staff and the team’s direction.

“The Cowboys are cooked,” PFN analyst Brandon Austin declared. “The defense actually showed a pulse tonight, but the offense was abysmal, just as it was last week. How can anyone have faith in this coaching staff? Time to clean house.”

With the amount of resources invested in the offense, the blame had to fall directly on the head coach.

“Schottenheimer has to go,” Brandon Astreicher announced. “They look unprepared every week. This team doesn’t have anywhere to go either. They’ll be giving away a high draft pick because this team is going nowhere. An inconsistent offense and a trash defense are a recipe for disaster. Jerry, start the rebuild.”

Astreicher wasn’t the only one to point the finger at Schottenheimer. PFN’s Jason Katz also called for the coach’s departure but argued that Jerry Jones was the bigger problem.

“Brian Schottenheimer has to go. But ultimately, the problem is and always will be Jerry Jones. Old Jerry desperately wants to win. There is no denying that,” Katz wrote. “He cares deeply about the Cowboys and truly believes he is doing everything in his power to field a championship team. He’s just bad at it.

“He doesn’t hire modern coaches. He doesn’t sign the right players. The Cowboys will never be competitive until Jerry relinquishes GM duties.”

After their success last season, the Cowboys further shored up the offensive line and retained some of their key pieces. As a result, Dak Prescott declared that they would be the GOTI, or the “Greatest Offense There Is.” Unfortunately, some folks weren’t ready to forget his bold claim.

“Dak Prescott hyped up the Cowboys’ offense as the ‘Greatest Offense There Is,’ but they look extremely average right now,” PFN Deputy Editor Alex Kennedy argued. “Couple that with arguably the worst defense in the NFL, and this team is going nowhere fast. Big changes are likely coming in Dallas.”

Jacob Infante wasn’t ready to write the Cowboys off completely given the state of their division, but even he struggled to see them as a legitimate postseason threat with their current roster.

“The Cowboys’ aim to become a legitimate contender this year is failing miserably. Even though they still have a chance to make the playoffs in a weak NFC East, their chances of achieving anything in the postseason are basically zero.”

Infante also pointed to the team’s ongoing defensive struggles and an offense that appears to be regressing, warning that the Cowboys could be headed for a rebuild.

“This defense has been an issue each of the last few years, with no progress in sight. When you factor in an offense that’s showing signs of regression, you have the ingredients that point towards an eventual rebuild.”

Kyle Soppe also saw a path for the Cowboys to sneak into the playoffs. However, with a defense that ranks No. 31 in the league with a PFN Defense Impact Score of 69.0, he doesn’t see them as a legitimate postseason threat.

“Nobody is dead in the NFC East these days, but this team lacks a true identity, and that’s what makes them a non-contender in the conference. There are plenty of flawed teams in this conference, but the up-and-down nature of the ‘Boys on both sides caps their upside,” Soppe wrote.

Given how things have gone over the past few seasons, it’s hard to find much reason for optimism in Dallas. The Cowboys have shown little sign of turning things around, and despite their efforts to build a championship-caliber roster, they remain far from that goal.