Winning 10 games and making the playoffs would be validation that Dallas is on the right track under Schotty. Plus, that means the franchise takes it up to both the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders, two teams considered to be at the top of the NFC pecking order.

Schottenheimer’s plans to end the drought begin with chemistry. He’s forming bonds with players and coaches with various off-the-field activities: a paintball outing, a seafood boil, individual dinners and attending charitable events.

The last time the Dallas Cowboys won the Super Bowl, "One Sweet Day" by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men topped the Billboard charts, movies like Toy Story and Jumanji had recently released and the original Tekken video game had released on the PlayStation a few months prior.