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The Dallas Cowboys must kick some bad habits if they hope to go far in the 2026 playoffs, including one that has plagued the team for years.
Penalties have been a major issue for the organization, no matter who has been the coach in the last six seasons. The Cowboys consistently struggle to play clean football. Last year, Brian Schottenheimer’s group led the NFL in accepted penalties with 133 and was second in penalty yards against. Even though it was a slight improvement over the 2023 and 2024 teams, who ranked third in the league in accepted infractions, the Cowboys haven’t ranked outside the top 10 in penalties since 2019.
If the Cowboys are going to fix the issue, training camp is the time to instill discipline into their musle memory. It’s on the coach and the players to be accountable for their actions from the start, something that appears to be happening in 2026.
Starting left guard Tyler Smith had a false start, prompting the All-Pro to immediately take himself out of the lineup and start his punishment, running.
It’s a small gesture since it’s just practice, but when your best players are setting an example, it’s a good sign for the rest of the team. Smith was part of a bigger problem last year as three of the five most penalized Cowboys were offensive linemen, so it’s an issue the group needs to fix.
As good as Smith is, he did commit four false starts last year, tied for the team lead with left tackle Tyler Guyton, and tied for the lead in overall penalties with seven. Getting called for aggressive penalties is one thing, but pre-snap infractions are not tolerable.
Little issues can turn into bigger problems if they are not addressed, and the Cowboys are trying to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself in 2026. There’s a long way to go, but Smith holding himself accountable is a good start for the team's penatly problem.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys' worst bad habit may be getting attention it deserves in camp
Continue reading...
Penalties have been a major issue for the organization, no matter who has been the coach in the last six seasons. The Cowboys consistently struggle to play clean football. Last year, Brian Schottenheimer’s group led the NFL in accepted penalties with 133 and was second in penalty yards against. Even though it was a slight improvement over the 2023 and 2024 teams, who ranked third in the league in accepted infractions, the Cowboys haven’t ranked outside the top 10 in penalties since 2019.
If the Cowboys are going to fix the issue, training camp is the time to instill discipline into their musle memory. It’s on the coach and the players to be accountable for their actions from the start, something that appears to be happening in 2026.
Starting left guard Tyler Smith had a false start, prompting the All-Pro to immediately take himself out of the lineup and start his punishment, running.
It’s a small gesture since it’s just practice, but when your best players are setting an example, it’s a good sign for the rest of the team. Smith was part of a bigger problem last year as three of the five most penalized Cowboys were offensive linemen, so it’s an issue the group needs to fix.
As good as Smith is, he did commit four false starts last year, tied for the team lead with left tackle Tyler Guyton, and tied for the lead in overall penalties with seven. Getting called for aggressive penalties is one thing, but pre-snap infractions are not tolerable.
Little issues can turn into bigger problems if they are not addressed, and the Cowboys are trying to make sure history doesn’t repeat itself in 2026. There’s a long way to go, but Smith holding himself accountable is a good start for the team's penatly problem.
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys' worst bad habit may be getting attention it deserves in camp
Continue reading...
