Mickey Spagnola

FRISCO, TexasAnd yet another thing about this Cowboys defense, two OTA practices into the offseason program, and goodness knows this bunch needed all the help it could get last year.

Maybe at those home games, the 90,000 in attendance at AT&T Stadium could have helped out with this high schoolish chant:

Take! That! Ball! Away! Take that ball away!

Or maybe needed these locker room signs as reminders of a very important aspect to playing defense:

See Ball, Get Ball.

Because of all the defensive maladies this unit suffered last season, giving up a record number of points, surrendering gobs of passing yards, a franchise-record 35 passing touchdowns (17 games) and, as recently mentioned, at least 27 points in 10 of the 17 games eight of those at least 30 points upon further review is what's most alarming:

The Cowboys finished the season with but a measly 12 takeaways, the second fewest in franchise history. And by only one, the 11 occurring during the 2015 season.

The Cowboys finished, as pointed out last week, with just six interceptions, only the Jets with fewer in 2025, totaling not a one. And no team in the franchise's 66-season history had ever finished with fewer than seven, done four times (2019, 2012, 1997 and 1989).

And as if that all is not enough transgression, the Cowboys only recovered six fumbles. That's right, but a half-dozen, matching the franchise's second-fewest (1995), only the three recovered in 2015 worse. Equally alarming, Dallas only forced 11 fumbles, matching the 2015 franchise record low.

Just need to get the ball.

And while the Cowboys did not make a big deal about any of this during the offseason, head coach Brian Schottenheimer did slip this in about 12 minutes into his NFL meetings interview at the end of March when asked, "What's the biggest thing you need to change in year two?"

First, Schotty stated the obvious: "Win more games."

Then he suggested: "Consistency in everything we do."

And then he dropped the mic, almost innocently: "And the other thing that just screams at us is the ball."

Ah ha, now we're getting somewhere.

"We've got to be better at taking care of the football," he prefaced before hitting everyone with this zinger.

"We've got to take it away more, because again, minus-9. And like I say, and really have a hard time saying, I really do," although then he said it again anyway, "Minus-9. You're never going to qualify for the playoffs doing that."

Dang right. And just for reference, only two teams last season posted a worse turnover differential than the 7-9-1 Cowboys, who did turn the ball over 21 times: The 4-13 Commanders at minus-13 and the 3-14 Jets at minus-19.

That's, uh, some Bad Company, and has nothing to do with "Can't Get Enough," since 11 of the top 13 teams in turnover differential were all playoff clubs, from the Bears at plus-22 down to the Bills and Packers at plus-one. And conversely, nine of the bottom 10 did not qualify for the playoffs, San Francisco being the lone exception to overcome ball abuse at minus-6.

All about the ball.

• OTA Questions:The biggest observations from watching an OTA practice, like the one we get to watch out here at The Star on Thursday, are where the Cowboys are lining up certain players. Like, where will No. 1 draft choice Caleb Downs be? On nickel? Deep safety? A little of both? Then there is the second first-round draft choice, Malachi Lawrence. Outside linebacker in the 3-4? Defensive end in the four-man front nickel? Then third-rounder Jaishawn Barham. Middle linebacker in the 3-4 likely behind projected starter Dee Winters? Is the backup left tackle behind starter Tyler Guyton still Nate Thomas? With cornerback DaRon Bland still rehabbing from foot surgery, who lines up outside with the first team defense? Shavon Revel and maybe Cobie Durant? And, of course, when will franchise-tagged George Pickens show up for workouts, Thursday, next week or not until the mandatory minicamp June 16-18? Or will it be training camp that last week in July? All TBD, most until at least Thursday.

• High Fives:Congrats to the Cowboys Public Relations Department, selected winners of the 2026 Pro Football Writers of America Rozell Award for the first time, given to the staff for excellence in relationships and dealings with the media, this year over a trying 2025 season. Also, same to Dak Prescott, receiving the 2026 PFWA Good Guy Award for his consistent dealings with the media, another franchise first since the award was first presented in 2005.

• Interesting List:Voting for the National Football Foundation Collegiate Hall of Fame Class of 2026 is opening up, and here is a list of former Cowboys players on the ballot: Flozell Adams, Tavon Austin, Antonio Bryant, Randall Cobb, Kevin Hardy, Robert Jones, Ryan Leaf, Kellen Moore, Ken Norton Jr., Bernard Ford and Timmy Newsome. Oh, and from the Cowboys coaching staff, pass game specialist Ken Dorsey, the former Miami All-American and 2001 Hurricanes national championship quarterback. Voting ends July 1.

• Trading Places:The Rams paid somewhat heavily trading for 2025 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, giving up one of my favorite defensive ends, Jared Verse, along with three draft choices: a 2027 first round, 2028 second and a 2029 third. Know also, the four-year extension of $160 million the Browns signed him to last year is heavily backloaded, essentially costing them an average of $33 million over these next three seasons before becoming financially unreasonable in 2029. Now, Cleveland will inherit $41.09 million in dead money but allocated over the next two years, thanks to trading him after June 1: $15.53 million in 2026 and $25.56 million in 2027. Someone asked how this trade affects the Cowboys. Well, they must play Garrett and the Rams on Dec. 20 out in Los Angeles. As for the Eagles trading away A.J. Brown, if doing so before June 1, they would have inherited $43.4 in dead money, but by waiting to send their veteran receiver to the Patriots after June 1, that amount is split over two seasons: $16.35 million this year and $27.1 million next.

• Extras:Know Baltimore Colts Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Raymond Berry, passing away at 93, did spend two seasons with the Cowboys as a wide receivers coach (1968-69), the Texas native returning to Dallas where he played his college football at SMU The Giants were forced to reinforce their wide receiver position this week, knowing star receiver Malik Nabors (torn ACL) might not be ready to start the season on Sept. 13 against the Cowboys, and then losing Gunner Olszewski (torn Achilles). Thus, they signed back veteran Odell Beckham, who has played just 37 games over the past five seasons and started no more than seven in any of those years, along with Braxton Berrios and JuJu Smith-Schuster At the Cowboys Alumni Day last Friday, didn't recognize former Pro Bowl center Mark Stepnoski until he spoke, appearing to weigh no more than 200 pounds.

We will rely on Dak Prescott for this week's final word, a day ahead of QB1 likely speaking Thursday after the team's third and final OTA practice of this week. Let's hear what he had to say about his expectations for this coming season's offense after last year's performance. They were responsible for keeping this defensively struggling team in a playoff chase until losing four of the last five games when unable to overcome giving up 44, 34, 34 and 34 points in those four losses.

"Sure, it was good, right. It was great, it was a lot of goodness in it, but as Jake (Ferguson) said, we go down, and we break down certain things. We weren't a good red zone team," Dak said, knowing the Cowboys scored just 37 touchdowns on 65 possessions inside the 20-yard line (56.7 percent). And actually, there were 10 times they came away with no points, either thanks to running out of downs or turnovers. "We weren't the worst, but we weren't near our standard, and in some areas, we damn pretty much were the worst.

"Nobody is OK with that. Nobody is complacent, nobody wants average, nobody wants to be good. We want to be great. We know the players we have, the culture we are building, how selfless each and every one of those guys on that side of the ball are. We're going to hold each and every one of us accountable and build. Last year was Year 1 under Schotty, and it's up to us to take the next step, a big step."

And in this case, have ball, score ball.