Jerry Jones just proved he can’t trust Schottenheimer.

Jerry Jones’ reveal is more proof Brian Schottenheimer isn’t fit to lead the Cowboys.

The Dallas Cowboys owner went on 105.3 The Fan and described the Week 8 game plan against the Arizona Cardinals.

“We were playing a game to avoid turnovers the best we could,” Jones said, per Joseph Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News.

“The game plan you saw was doing that. You can call that conservative if you want to. The game plan was based on us running the ball better than when we ran it. And when they did stack it really good … it’s certainly based on us giving [Dak Prescott] better protection.”

The Cowboys lost that game 33-30 in overtime.

Dallas led 24-10 at the start of the fourth quarter.

Arizona had been one of the worst teams in the NFL through the first eight weeks.

The Cardinals entered Week 8 ranked 29th in EPA per play on defense, 21st in success rate and 31st in dropback EPA.

But one area where Arizona excelled was against the run.

From Weeks 1 to 7, the Cardinals ranked eighth in rush EPA.

Schottenheimer’s game plan ignored that fact.

The Cowboys ran the ball 39 times compared to 29 dropbacks.

Schottenheimer seemingly did not want to put the ball in Dak Prescott’s hands.

He believed a risk-averse approach would be enough to beat an inferior team.

That approach is what Jerry Jones described on the radio as the deliberate strategy.

Analysts have called it a damning indictment of the head coach.

One NFL analyst said of Jones’ comments: “He’s either lying or he’s incompetent.”

The remark came from a segment on Pro Football Network, where the analyst pointed out that the game plan was built around fear, not strength.

Other voices have been even harsher.

Former Eagles linebacker Emmanuel Acho called it “organizational malpractice” and “utterly ridiculous.”

Colin Cowherd called Jones’ stance on not paying coaches top dollar “so tone-deaf.”

The Cowboys fell to 3-5 with the loss.

Jones has said coaching changes are not on his mind at this time, according to Jon Machota of The Athletic.

But the reveal of the game plan has intensified calls for Schottenheimer’s job.

Former Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant has already suggested a replacement.

On November 5, Bryant posted on X: “I’m just saying… if anything were to happen in Dallas… Jason Witten should be the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. I can see it..and I’d love that.”

Witten spent 16 seasons with the Cowboys, making 255 appearances and earning 11 Pro Bowl selections.

He is now the tight ends coach at Oklahoma and was recently promoted after the dismissal of offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle.

Witten previously served as head coach at Liberty Christian School in Texas, where he led the program to consecutive state championships in 2023 and 2024 with a 26-1 record.

Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin has also publicly criticized the team’s direction.

The Cowboys face the Indianapolis Colts in Week 9.

Indianapolis is in the midst of a fire sale after firing general manager Chris Ballard.

The Colts have lost four games in a row and have already traded star guard Quenton Nelson and standout defensive tackle DeForest Buckner.

A loss to Indianapolis could sink Dallas even lower.

But even that might not be enough to get Schottenheimer fired immediately.

The Cowboys have no immediate plans to move on from their head coach, meaning a decision on his future could wait until after the season.

Jones has been on record multiple times saying the team will be very aggressive at the trade deadline.

The trade deadline falls after the Colts game.

Reports still indicate Dallas has no plans to avoid being a big-time buyer.

But the radio interview has shifted the conversation.

What Jones described was not a coach making a tactical mistake.

It was a coach designing an entire game plan around the fear of turning the ball over.

Against a defense that could not stop the pass but could stop the run.

The Buccaneers and Packers had already used the same formula against Dallas.

They stacked the box and brought pressure all game.

Schottenheimer did not adjust.

The result was a loss that dropped the Cowboys to 3-5.

And the owner himself provided the evidence that the plan was deliberate.

That is why the analyst said Jones is either lying or incompetent.

If Jones knew the plan was that conservative and approved it, he shares the blame.