Even though the Dallas Cowboys fell to the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night, it's hard not to feel bullish about Brian Schottenheimer as a head coach and play-caller. On top of calling a brilliant game, Schottenheimer had the Cowboys ready to play; they played physical and took the fight to the defending champs.
While that is by far the biggest positive from the loss, Schottenheimer passed his first test before kickoff when Mazi Smith was listed as a healthy scratch. It was a surprising call given fellow defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey was ruled out with a back injury, but Schottenheimer preferred rookie seventh-round pick Jay Toia to the former first-rounder out of Michigan.