Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer defended meeting with players only, despite criticism from Mike Tomlin.

Mike Tomlin said the players-only meeting meant "you're dead," but Brian Schottenheimer praised the Dallas Cowboys defense for taking the initiative.

The Dallas Cowboys' uneven start continued in Week 5 when they fell to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, dropping to 2-3 in five games.

Much of the scrutiny has focused on Dallas' defense, which has struggled to find consistency during the team's early season. Against that backdrop, the Cowboys held a players-only meeting.

While former Pittsburgh Steelers coach and current NBC Sports NFL analyst Mike Tomlin has questioned what player-only meetings can do for an NFL team, Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer doesn't see the situation as cause for alarm. Instead, he sees a players-only meeting as a sign that "everyone is rowing in the same direction."

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"I love it. I've said from the beginning, the best teams I've ever been on are led by the locker room. And the information I got from some of those guys that held that meeting was very constructive. It was very open and honest," Schottenheimer continued, explaining why he values the players-only meeting.

After last Thursday's loss to the Bucks, Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshoven confirmed reports that the defensive players held a meeting to assess whether they meet the team's standards. Overshown said the players went "bullet point, bullet point" and worked on areas that needed improvement.

On the latest episode of Jason and Travis Kells' "New Heights" podcast, Tomlin offered a blunt assessment when asked about NFL players holding meetings without coaches or other staff members.

Mike Tomlin suggests 'I think you're dead' at NFL players-only meetings

Tomlin later explained that his concern was less about whether a player-only meeting occurred than whether it would become a matter of public debate. "If that happened, I'd like to hear about it," Tomlin said. "The fact that you're hearing about it is what makes it BS."

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin stands on the sideline before the AFC wild card game against the Houston Texans at Akrisor Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on January 12, 2026. (Barry Rieger/Images)

Matt Aberfels served as the Cowboys' defensive coordinator under Schottenheimer last season. He joined the San Francisco 49ers as assistant head coach/defense in 2026, and Dallas turned to Christian Parker to lead the defense.

The Cowboys have shown some improvement in some areas under Parker's watch, but still rank near the bottom of the NFL in yards allowed per game through five weeks.

Shortly after last Thursday's 24-16 loss to the Bucks, Schottenheimer began reshaping a Dallas defense that had struggled most of the season. That change has already included a notable addition, with Mike Pettine set to join the Cowboys as a senior defensive assistant. Pettine has worked with Parker in the past.

Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer during the second half against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. (Lon Horwedel/Imagn Images)

Schottenheimer also confirmed that Parker will be with the team instead of the Cowboys' Week 6 game against the Green Bay Packers at historic Lambeau Field.

He said: The pride of this unit is strong. "There are some really, really proud guys in that room, and we're going to fix it. I don't have a question about that. But it doesn't bother me at all. It means everyone is rowing in the same direction to fix this."

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