Stephen Jones does not think the Dallas Cowboys have reached must-win territory yet. The Cowboys’ executive vice president, and son of owner Jerry Jones, said so on 105.3 The Fan, while head coach Brian Schottenheimer’s seat keeps getting hotter after a 2-4 start.

“When we’re this early in the season, I don’t think anything is a ‘must-win’ (game). … We just got to take care of our own business, and I think good things will happen for us.”

Reporter Jon Machota of The Athletic shared the comments on X. The comments came before a Monday night trip to face the Philadelphia Eagles, as Dallas arrives off two straight losses.

The first came on October 8, when the Cowboys fell 24-16 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that had not won a game previously in the season. Dallas led 10-7 at halftime, then turned the ball over on three straight possessions in the second half. Some outlets called Schottenheimer sitting in the NFL’s hottest seat after that game.

Then came Sunday night in Green Bay. The Cowboys lost 23-13 and trailed 17-0 at the break, which is a hard hole for any team to climb out of. They did not score until the third quarter, committed 11 penalties for 108 yards, and turned the ball over twice. They scored just one touchdown on their first eight possessions. Schottenheimer addressed the slide afterward.

“We’re in a hole. We put ourselves there, and there’s one way out of it.”

The defense is a big part of the problem. Through six games, Dallas ranks second-last in yards allowed per game at 382.5 and gives up 26.5 points per game. New coordinator Christian Parker has taken plenty of heat, and Jones tried to ease the worry in the same interview.

“I’ve been visiting with our staff on both sides of the ball. I think Christian is feeling better and better each week. Certainly, I’m not saying we’re gonna go out there and be the Doomsday Defense or anything like that, but I do feel like we’re getting better each week.”

Even for Cowboys fans who grew up on the Doomsday Defense name, that is a modest promise. Is “better each week” enough when the record says otherwise?

Jones did not stop at the defense. He also said the offensive staff knows what it has to fix and called Schottenheimer “the play caller” who “does an amazing job.” That matters, because the Cowboys’ offense was among the NFL’s best last season and has been held down in recent weeks.

It is also not the first time Jones has backed his coach. On Monday, he told 105.3 The Fan that the team “absolutely” believes in Schottenheimer, and he said there is no question in his or Jerry’s mind about Schottenheimer’s worth.

So what exactly is the hot seat here? Schottenheimer is 9-13-1 in 23 games as Dallas’ head coach, including a 7-9-1 record in 2025. This year, the Cowboys have beaten only the Washington Commanders and Houston Texans, and they have also lost 34-31 to the Baltimore Ravens and 28-20 to the New York Giants.

Schottenheimer chased this job for a reason. He said on The Twins Take podcast that the Cowboys agreed he would stay on as offensive coordinator if he did not get the head coaching role, but he wanted more.

“I really wanted to be the head coach and put our fingerprint, our blueprint, on it. And that’s what God had planned.”

Meanwhile, if Week 7 against division rival Philadelphia Eagles is not a must-win game, which one will be? Cowboys fans are waiting to find out whether the answer comes before the season gets away from them.