Although things are looking up for the Dallas Cowboys in Year 2 under Brian Schottenheimer, he has yet to prove he is a great coach.
That could happen soon with all the Super Bowl talk surrounding the Cowboys.
What he has shown so far is a gift for gab and a way words at the podium not seen in Dallas since the days of Bill Parcells.
He offered another example when talking about rise and development of quarterback Joe Milton from athletic carnival sideshow, thanks to a rocket arm, to becoming a legitimate backup option to starter Dak Prescott, if not more.
The competition with Sam Howell for the No. 2 is not over.
One preseason game remains and while Howell was more consistent in training camp practices, Milton has been a show stopper in the first two preseason games.
He has completed 21 of 28 passing (75% completion rate) for 286 yards with three passing touchdowns, one rushing touchdown and no interception. That 142.8 passer rating is damn near close to perfect.
More importantly, Milton has displayed the whole package with bullet passes, touch throws, directing the team and playing quarterback.
He is no longer a novelty act.
Here is how Schottenheimer explained so perfectly and colorfully.
“I first remember hearing about Joe Milton when he was at the University of Michigan and everyone applauded him for how hard and how far he could throw the ball. Cool. That’s awesome,” Schottenheimer said. “Go be in a carnival somewhere. That’s not what playing an NFL quarterback is. It’s not. … You’re throwing through small windows, you’re throwing over people, you’re changing arm slots.
“So to me, arm strength is cool. Go to the fair and win a teddy bear. But you got to play quarterback. And that’s what I think you see Joe learning is he’s playing quarterback. And he’s playing quarterback at a high level. He’s checking the ball down. He’s making blitz adjustments. He’s solving problems. He’s reading from his first, second to third, and even fourth progression at times. It takes time. You don’t stop learning as a quarterback. The only way to do it is to play. I’m really, really proud of him.”
It’s a testament to Milton’s growth and development.
The athleticism and arm talent has been there since his days in college at Michigan and then Tennessee.
The savviness and touch have not.
Opposing fans in the Southeastern Conference used to derisively call him “Overthrow Joe” at Tennessee where he was affectionately known as “Bazooka Joe”.
And even after coming to Dallas in a trade with New England before last season where was Prescott’s primary back up, he remained rough around the edges and unrefined.
There’s a reason why the Cowboys brought in Howell to compete with him for back up job.
Milton welcomed the challenge.
The battle has seemingly brought the best him.
“I remember my conversation with Joe and his comments to me were one of very confidence,” Schottenheimer said. “‘Coach, it doesn’t matter who you bring in here. I believe in myself’. I think it probably got his attention. But to be fair to Joe, I mean, this is not the easiest system to learn. I mean, we ask a lot of our players, certainly the quarterback position. We are a volume type offense. We have a lot of offense that we use. But he’s in a much different place right now, of course, talking about Joe in terms of his understanding of what we do.”
Milton is confident. He always has been.
“I’m a very confident person,” Milton said. “Anytime I look in the mirror, I tell myself that my game is up to par. Right where I need it to be, even if I do need stuff to work on, just because that’s just the confidence you have to instill in yourself. That’s just the person I am.”
But acknowledges being more comfortable in the system has made a huge difference. He only knew 75 percent of the offense last year.
“My comfort level is amazing. Way more comfortable that I was last year,” Milton said. “I’m able to go into the huddle and just say the play clear, tell the guys where they need to go. If guys have questions in the huddle, I’m able to answer those without just making sure with my coach and making sure that I’m right. I’m able to be confident enough to tell them what they got in the huddle and demand that from the guys.”
“Just being able to go through that process of a whole year being in this offense to now, it’s great.”
The light has simply come on and its not just about learning the system, it’s how he has played the position through the first two preseason games.
He has shown off the deep ball, with a 53-yard touchdown pass to Jonathan Mingo. But he has also showed off the touch with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Malik Davis and a soft throw to Camden Brown when he directed him to open spot to complete a 70-yard catch and run.
“Probably the touch that he was throwing the ball with,” Schottenheimer said when asked what has impressed him most about Milton. “I’m going to talk about both games because just the poison. When you’re playing quarterback and you have a play caller that’s the head coach, there’s a rhythm that you want to try to get into. And last year at times, this time of year with Joe, it was a little bit difficult to call plays for Joe because I wasn’t sure exactly what’s going to happen here and there. And just the poise that he’s playing with right now. But you asked about one thing that jumped out. I think the touch on the double move Mingo was a beautiful, beautiful throw. The touch on the scramble play to Camden Brown was a beautiful deal. Honestly, last year, this time on the touchdown to Malik, it’s probably from me to you. And he probably would have blistered it at Malik and probably would have put a dent in Malik’s chest because he’s capable of doing that.
“He just kind of softened his elbow and just kind of flicked it and made it really easy for Malik. So really two really, really good performances.
“And I think quite honestly, if you would just take the training camp competition, it’s probably neck and neck and Sam maybe a little bit ahead. That’s why we actually started Sam in the first game against Seattle. But Joe’s put together two really good performances and this will be another fun week for them to keep battling.”
The battle is Joe’s lose at this point.
Go get a teddy bear.
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