(Editor's Note: Time to check the mail! The DallasCowboys.com staff writers answer your questions here in 'Mailbag' presented by Miller Lite.)
When Brian Schottenheimer began coaching last year, he said he wanted the Cowboys to have the best culture in the league. It seems like this year that new culture is now on full display, and everyone is on the same page. What do you think? How many more games can culture alone win you? – Geoffrey Baldwin/Sanford, FL
Patrik: In my opinion, it's been on display all summer. Have there been any running headlines about off-the-field issues? Contract holdouts/hold-ins? Controversy of any kind? When the biggest bit of drama is attached to who's playing QB3 and a couple of routine transactions to get that person on the practice squad, it's safe to say that, for the Cowboys, of all teams, that's proof-positive that everybody is on the same page.
The focus is on football, and football alone in 2026. It's a message being sent from the top down — even owner and general manager Jerry Jones passing on opportunities to stir the pot while also making good on his word to build this roster to win right now, even if it costs future picks. Christian Parker has flipped the entire defensive culture as Schottenheimer has done for the offense and the team as a whole. So, yeah, when you hear me insisting the team is moving differently, and more differently than I've seen in a couple decades, just know I'm
Tommy: I think it certainly doesn't hurt. Having a good culture is good for the morale of your team, which is always a healthy thing to have in a game that has a lot of mental elements in it like football.
Everyone does appear to be on the same page. Communication on the field has been a big emphasis over the course of the offseason. Can that translate to Sundays? That's the biggest question, and if it does, then Dallas should be improved.
The biggest sign of a good culture is it holding together when things go wrong. So when the Cowboys face adversity this season, how do they respond? Is that high-level culture still seen in their play and approach? That is ultimately the biggest determining factor of the kind of culture a team has, but by all accounts thus far, the Cowboys have a strong one. Now, we'll see if that helps them win more games in 2026.
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