The criticism mounts for Brian Schottenheimer as the Cowboys keep finding ways to lose

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Owner Jerry Jones and quarterback Dak Prescott tried to shield coach Brian Schottenheimer from mounting criticism after the Dallas Cowboys again failed to put together consecutive victories.

The latest loss was the most crushing of Schottenheimer's season-plus in charge, since the Cowboys matched the biggest blown fourth-quarter lead in franchise history at 14 points in Arizona's 33-30 overtime victory, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Questions about Schottenheimer's job security had already come up this season. Now, they've lost to backup quarterbacks twice — Gardner Minshew's huge rally for the Cardinals coming after the previous home loss was against undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels for then-winless Tampa Bay in his second career start.

Dallas (3-5), which visits Indianapolis (2-6) on Sunday, has lost because of poor performances from a defense that can't seem to figure things out. There was a defeat directly tied to Schottenheimer's questionable game management in the final seconds.

Put it together, and the Cowboys have had a winning record after just one of 25 weeks under Schottenheimer, whose only winning streak was a three-game run last November.

“I will say that a lot of people let Brian down today,” Jones said when asked why he still had confidence in his ninth head coach in 37 years as owner and general manager. “And so for whatever criticism we want to have of Brian, we can all get in line.”

Prescott would count himself among those who let the coach down with a supposedly high-powered offense that has sputtered in all three losses during the current four-game stretch. The 11th-year starter bristled when asked about Schottenheimer after the game.

“Don’t put the blame on one person,” Prescott said. “I think that’s weak. I think that’s cowardly. This game is about all 11 that touch the field and every person that has a part in it, coaches and support staff. It’s never just one person’s fault. Even if I go out there and throw a bunch of interceptions, it’s never just truly one person’s fault.”

Jones traded star pass rusher Micah Parsons a week before Schottenheimer's first game last season, but has since made several moves to try to bolster the roster, especially on defense.

That included last year's trade for defensive tackle Quinnen Williams that cost Dallas one of the two first-round draft picks from the Parsons deal. The Cowboys gave up a 2028 second-round pick to get cornerback Joey Porter Jr. this season.

Wade Phillips is the only coach Jones fired midseason. The Cowboys were 1-7 and had just been embarrassed on national TV in Green Bay when Phillips was let go in 2010. Jason Garrett coached most of the next decade.

“I made a change, and I don’t want to mention it, because I’m not proud of it,” Jones said. “But I made the change with Wade Phillips there in the middle of the season. And I don’t see that here.”

The defense was working, for most of three quarters — and that was after a strong second half in a win at Philadelphia the previous week. Then Tyler Allgeier ripped off a 63-yard touchdown run, and a 52-yarder on Arizona's next offensive play.

Minshew threw for three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, the last to cap an 80-yard drive in just 63 seconds. The only reason the Cardinals didn't win in regulation was because Chad Ryland missed the PAT with 6 seconds to go. A Dallas defense that is among the worst in the NFL suddenly looked the part again.

“We have to see what exactly went wrong, but it’s just — it can’t happen,” said linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, who forced a fumble for one of Dallas' season-high two takeaways. “It just can’t happen.”

The Cowboys have to get better at finding WR George Pickens. He's not even close to his numbers from a breakout 2025 season. He barely stayed on the field long enough to see Ryland's winning field goal go through the uprights before jogging past fans in a field-level club on his way to the locker room.

Shemar James Sr. seems to be entrenched now as the starting middle linebacker and the defense's primary communicator. He played all but three snaps and had his first career interception.

The inconsistency isn't limited to the defense. The offensive line was terrible a week after the Cowboys rushed for a season-high 204 yards. Dallas averaged 2.4 yards per carry and allowed four sacks, both season worsts.

Safeties Caleb Downs, the rookie first-round pick, and P.J. Locke are in concussion protocol. Edge rusher Malachi Lawrence has an ankle injury that Schottenheimer says is more serious than those of Porter and Jake Ferguson, the tight end who left early against Arizona and didn't return. Porter's ankle injury is limiting his snaps when the Cowboys need him on the field.

191-0 — Dallas' record at home before Sunday when leading by at least 14 points in the fourth quarter since 1991, according to Sportradar. That included the playoffs.

It doesn't seem to matter that three of the next four opponents will have losing records regardless of what happens before they meet the Cowboys. Dallas keeps finding new ways to lose.

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

An injured Dallas Cowboys safety Caleb Downs walks off the field during an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

Arizona Cardinals running back Tyler Allgeier (22) runs for a touchdown as Dallas Cowboys safety Malik Hooker (24) looks on during an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott answers a question during a news conference after an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer, right, hugs Arizona Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur after an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer walks off the stage after answering questions during a news conference after an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States has conducted defensive strikes on some Iranian targets in the Strait of Hormuz, a U.S. official said Monday, on the eve of crucial midterm elections.

Iranian state television reported that explosions were heard on Qeshm Island. The official, who wasn’t authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said that “Iranians using surface to air missiles against U.S. assets” had been targeted.

The strikes appeared to be limited as opposed to a return to full hostilities but followed President Donald Trump previously saying the U.S. would not launch new strikes on Iran before Tuesday's midterms. The unpopular war and the resulting impact on U.S. gasoline prices and other parts of the economy have been a vulnerability for Republicans as they try to keep control of Congress.

The region is on edge about the prospects of the U.S. resuming full-scale operations against Iran, and the new strikes, which were reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal, are certain to raise fresh concerns. Backchannel negotiations also are playing out as Israel and some Middle East allies lobby Trump on the way ahead in the more than 8-month-old war that’s rattled global markets and wreaked havoc on Iran.

The Trump administration was last known to have carried out attacks in early September, but thousands of U.S. troops remain in the waters off Iran to maintain a naval blockade aimed at preventing tankers hauling Iranian oil from getting to the global market. Plus, a third aircraft carrier and thousands of additional troops are on their way to the Middle East.

Before the strikes were confirmed, U.S. Vice President JD Vance offered measured optimism that a deal could still be struck. Vance sent a letter to Iran’s security chief, Mohsen Rezaei, last week, but the White House has offered scant details. Trump told reporters that letter was focused on assisting Iran with “medical supplies and various things.”

“We’ve had a number of good conversations with the Iranians,” Vance told reporters Monday when asked about the letter. “I actually just spoke with the president of the United States about an hour ago about this. Look, the president and I both feel pretty good about the prospects for potentially coming to a negotiated settlement. We’re going to keep on working at it.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pushed for another wave of strikes on Iran after the U.S. elections, according to two regional officials and a third person familiar with the matter.

A return to full-scale war with Iran could help Netanyahu to form an emergency government after he and his far-right allies lost their parliamentary majority in last week's elections. Trump has alternated between threatening major strikes and pushing for a deal with Iran.

The two officials said diplomatic efforts have made progress, with Qatari mediators holding two rounds of talks last week with Iranian officials. The two officials said the mediators are trying to advance a framework for Iran to cease its attacks in the Strait of Hormuz in return for the U.S. lifting its blockade on Iran's ports.

They said more talks are planned for this week. The two officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were discussing classified briefings they had received from American, and in one case Israeli, officials.

One official said Netanyahu was working with senior officials in the U.S. administration to persuade Trump to launch a quick but extensive air campaign and that the president does not appear to have made a decision.

Netanyahu pressed for strikes during a call over the weekend with Trump, who would not commit to taking military action, according to a person who was briefed on it.

Other U.S. allies in the Middle East are warning against more strikes, saying that would destabilize the region and could lead Iran-allied Houthi rebels in Yemen to step up their attacks on Saudi Arabia and Red Sea shipping, a third regional official said. Iran-backed militias in Iraq could also get involved.

The Israeli government did not immediately comment. The White House did not directly respond to questions about Netanyahu and Trump’s discussion of potential new strikes during the weekend call.

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman said he spoke by phone Monday with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth about “the latest regional and international developments” and the Houthis’ continued attacks on Saudi Arabia.

Oil prices dropped sharply Monday as renewed diplomatic efforts in the Iran war appeared to show signs of headway.

Trump noted the drop in a speech in Washington on Monday, which was billed as his closing argument to Americans, and sought to minimize the scale of the conflict, which has cost U.S. taxpayers at least $47 billion.

“I don’t know if you even call it a war, because we haven’t been doing any fighting for months,” Trump said.

Iran wants guarantees that the U.S. will implement its side of any agreement. The U.S. and Israel have twice attacked Iran while it was engaged in negotiations over its disputed nuclear program.

Iranian officials say publicly they are prepared for war or diplomacy.

The new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, met with Iran’s military chiefs and said the response to “any kind and level of threat” from the U.S. or Israel should be immediate and without “geographic limits,” urging an expansion of the list of potential targets.

A recent analysis by The Associated Press found that Iranian strikes on more than two dozen U.S. bases since the start of the war have caused billions of dollars in equipment damage.

Rezaei, the Iranian security chief, told state television that “the tone has completely changed” from the U.S. and called it a “very good sign.” He gave no details about the letter from Vance and said he had not responded.

October saw the most attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz since March, as Iran has tried to ramp up economic pressure on the U.S. to get it to lift its blockade.

The mood was grim at the Manama Dialogue, an annual security summit in Bahrain organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

United Arab Emirates presidential adviser Anwar Gargash told attendees the U.S. and Iranian stances are far apart, and “if these positions are not bridged, then we have to worry about the worst.”

Gulf nations have spent billions of dollars to boost their defense capabilities since the war began. Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty told the gathering in Bahrain that the next escalation “will be more dangerous, more destructive, and it will lead to nowhere.”

China will send a special envoy to Iran, Oman and Saudi Arabia in early to mid-November, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters Monday.

Magdy reported from New York, and Anna from Jerusalem. Victoria Eastwood in Cairo, Kanis Leung in Hong Kong and Katie Marie Davies in London contributed to this report.

AP STANDARDS: The AP uses anonymous sources only when the information is vital to the news report and not opinion or speculation. The information must be unavailable except under the conditions of anonymity imposed by the source. The source must be reliable, in a position to have accurate information and approved by news managers.

President Donald Trump speaks at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Monday, Nov. 2, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Vice President JD Vance talks with reporters after arriving on Air Force Two, Monday, Nov. 2, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Md. (Tom Brenner/Pool via AP)

Supporters of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu protest against left-wing activists calling for the formation of a government that includes Arab parties, following Israel's general election, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

President Donald Trump walks across the South Lawn of the White House after stepping off Marine One, Monday, Nov. 2, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Allison Robbert)

Posters of the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, center, and his father, the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are seen alongside dried flowers on a barricade placed on the street leading to their residence compound where the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed during the U.S. and Israel strike on Feb. 28, in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Oct. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)