BREAKING NEWS: Daboll’s Plea to Limit Cowboys Fans Met with Schottenheimer’s Savage Response
In a storyline more suited to a rivalry drama than a press conference, New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll stunned reporters this week when he openly requested that the NFL intervene and limit the number of Dallas Cowboys fans allowed in the upcoming NFC East clash.
Daboll cited what he called “out of control crowd noise” as a factor that severely impacts his team’s ability to communicate at the line of scrimmage and execute their game plan.
“We respect the passion of football fans,” Daboll said. “But when it crosses the line and compromises the strategy and safety of players, that’s not football anymore—it’s chaos. The NFL needs to look at this.”
The remarks immediately lit a firestorm across social media. Cowboys fans mocked the Giants’ coach for what they perceived as an excuse before the game even kicked off, while others pointed out that hostile road environments are nothing new in the NFL.
But what truly set the internet ablaze was the swift and savage response from Cowboys offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer. Barely five minutes after Daboll’s comments circulated, Schottenheimer was asked about them during his own media session. His seven-word reply brought laughter from the press room and delivered a knockout blow to Daboll’s argument:
“If it’s too loud, play better football.”
The quote immediately went viral, celebrated by Cowboys fans as the perfect retort and replayed across countless highlight reels online. Analysts were quick to frame the exchange as symbolic of the long-standing rivalry between Dallas and New York—a rivalry fueled as much by words as by on-field battles.
League insiders also noted the NFL is unlikely to act on Daboll’s request. One executive anonymously told NFL Network: “Crowd noise is part of the game. Coaches and players are expected to prepare for it, not complain about it.”
Now, with emotions running high, Sunday’s matchup promises to be even more intense. Giants fans will rally behind Daboll, while Cowboys fans—emboldened by Schottenheimer’s zinger—are expected to double down on making their presence felt.
If Daboll hoped to quiet the noise, he may have inadvertently made it louder.
Browns Make Notable Move In Latest Power Rankings
The Cleveland Browns entered the season with big questions, especially on offense.
They looked much better than some people anticipated in Week 1, and while the Cincinnati Bengals have never been a barometer to determine whether a team is a true contender, the Browns held their ground.
Unfortunately, outplaying them and being better than the Bengals in almost every aspect of the game didn’t get the Browns a victory.
Yet, Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report has acknowledged that they were better than anticipated, and he bumped them up from No. 30 to No. 27 in his power rankings.
“Silver linings time, Browns fans! Sure, Cleveland just outplayed the Cincinnati Bengals in just about every facet of the game. Out-gained the Bengals 321-147. The Browns converted over half of their third-down attempts. Yet in the most Cleveland way imaginable (two tipped-ball interceptions and a pair of missed kicks, including an extra point), the Browns managed to somehow lose the game. Yes, the Browns need a new kicker (buh-bye, Andre Szmyt). Cleveland also desperately needs Quinshon Judkins to get up to speed quickly. The Browns averaged all of two yards per carry on the ground against a bad Bengals defense,” Davenport wrote.
The Browns open the season with a difficult schedule, so this was a loss they couldn’t afford.
They were the better team, and there are encouraging signs for the remainder of the season, but with two divisional games, three games against highly ranked NFC North teams, and one of those games being played overseas, things don’t get any easier.
The Browns were at home, in front of their fans, and let a huge opportunity slip through their fingers.
That’s not the sign of a winning team, and head coach Kevin Stefanski will have to make sure to keep the morale high ahead of the Week 2 matchup against the powerful Baltimore Ravens.
The Browns are arguably much better and more competitive than most people give them credit for.
Now, they face a tough test on the road against Baltimore, perhaps the only other NFL team that squandered a better chance to win its opener.
