Mailbag: Accountability for pre-snap penalties?

(Editor's Note: Time to check the mail! The DallasCowboys.com staff writers answer your questions here in 'Mailbag' presented by Miller Lite.)

Reading that Brian Schottenheimer once yanked Dak Prescott for throwing an interception during training camp got my attention since it helps instill accountability. What concerns me about Schotty installing more motion and play-action, though, is will that only increase the likelihood of even more false starts from the offensive line, tight ends and receivers? Pre-snap penalties were a persistent problem last year. Will there be similar accountability? – Sean Ryan/Lorton, VA

Nick: Let's be honest, do you really want that accountability? People say that kind of stuff all the time, but if Dak throws an interception in the third quarter of a close game. Do you want Cooper Rush coming in and taking over in the fourth? I know accountability sounds good, but it's got to be more than that.

So yeah, Schotty can pull him in practice. Dak isn't trying to get every rep anyways, that's what training camp is for. But this comes down to having much better practices than they had in the past. I think it was very clear this team didn't practice well during the week and had problems with the 'details' of practice. That's probably where the penalties are created more than anything else.

I don't think adding more motion will create more penalties, especially if it's practiced better than what we've seen. As for the accountability, there's really only so much you can do, and so much you'd want to do. I would think in most cases, when a player is pulled for penalties or fumbling or whatever, it's because the second option is about on the same level or close.

Kurt: Indeed, penalties were a problem for Dallas last season. According to NFLPenalties.com, the Cowboys ranked sixth in the NFL with 128 penalties counted against them. Throw in those declined or negated from offsetting penalties and the team totaled 166 flags, which actually led the league.

And where it really hurt was in pre-snap penalties. The Cowboys finished fifth with 52 pre-snap flags. The four teams ahead of them? The Browns, Bears, Giants and Titans. That's not great company.

Digging deeper, Dallas tied for second with 29 false start penalties; however, eight of those infractions, or 28 percent, were called on rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton, who clearly struggled. He wound up tying for second in the league with 18 total flags, four of which were either declined or offset.

So will adding more motion make things even more difficult for Guyton and others? It shouldn't. The Lions, Chiefs and Rams were some of the highest ranked teams in terms of motion percentage, but they also finished among the top five for fewest pre-snap penalties.

Which maybe bring us to the accountability question. Great teams are disciplined. Great teams are accountable. But do you pull out, say, Terence Steele (six false starts), and expect a backup to give you the same protection? Would you take out CeeDee Lamb (three false starts) when you now have even more yards to gain?

Coaches constantly preach discipline, and no doubt Brian Schottenheimer will too. But accountability is a tough balance. In some ways, the coaches can only do so much. In the end, it's truly on the players.