FRISCO, Texas — Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said spatial awareness has become more important for quarterbacks than it used to be, and named Philip Rivers as the best he has been around at it.
Schottenheimer was assessing quarterback play generally Thursday, and declined to discuss the Dallas Cowboys on the subject.
The elite secondary coaches have gotten to where they can change the math and cheat safeties, Schottenheimer said.
“I think with the new wave of coverages that we’re all seeing, the days of spot drop three aren’t over, but it’s a lot smaller,” Schottenheimer said. “Where it’s three deep safeties, four underneath, they’re dropping to spots. I think the spatial awareness matters now in this new age of cover four, shell, quarters, whatever you want to call it, where you have to get this field space correctly, because sometimes they’re matching certain parts of the field. They’re clouding certain parts of the field. The other does have hook droppers and things like that.”
Rivers was one of the quarterbacks Schottenheimer coached in San Diego.
“And some of the best quarterbacks I’ve ever been around, one name jumps out to me. I’m not going to talk about our guys, but Philip Rivers, his ability to see the field or spatial awareness,” Schottenheimer continued. “Another way of saying it is field vision. You feel where everybody is. You know it. You can get through progressions much quicker. And that’s usually a good thing when you’re having to block these elite pass rushers.”
“So I think it’s critical, but I think it’s more and more important now because these secondary coaches, the elite ones, have gotten to where they’re able to change the math and cheat safeties and things like that, so you have to be able to see the full field,” Schottenheimer added.
Brian Schottenheimer’s Time With Philip Rivers
Schottenheimer was the San Diego Chargers quarterbacks coach from 2002 through 2005, working under his father, Marty Schottenheimer. Rivers arrived in 2004 as the fourth overall pick, acquired from the New York Giants in the draft-day trade for Eli Manning.
Schottenheimer left after the 2005 season to become New York Jets offensive coordinator, a job he held from 2006 through 2011. He also coached Chad Pennington, Brett Favre, and Mark Sanchez there, and Russell Wilson in Seattle from 2018 through 2020.
The Cowboys’ Quarterback Room
Dak Prescott enters his 11th season. Sam Howell is the backup, and Joe Milton III is the third quarterback on the practice squad.
Dallas ranked second in total offense last season under Schottenheimer and offensive coordinator Klayton Adams.
The Cowboys open the regular season Sept. 13 at MetLife Stadium against the New York Giants. Kickoff is 7:20 p.m. CT on NBC.
