FRISCO — The Cowboys moved defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus before Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers because they wanted to see a change. The view from above, head coach Brian Schottenheimer indicated repeatedly, would allow Eberflus to adjust faster. Game plans are often only as good as their backup plans.
To Eberflus’ credit, there was a change in Sunday’s 34-17 loss to the Chargers. The Cowboys blitzed on more than half of Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert’s passing attempts, marking a distinct change from Eberflus’ normal play-calling strategy. Their coverage scheme was different, too, with the Cowboys running man coverage 45.5% of the time, according to Next Gen Stats.
And yet, the Cowboys’ defense produced another dismal performance against the Chargers. It’s prompted a question about the root cause of the Cowboys’ issues. What’s to blame: the chess player, or the chess pieces? The play-caller, or the personnel?
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“We have the personnel to get done and we have the scheme,” Schottenheimer said on Monday. “We haven’t done it.”
Maybe the chicken or the egg would be an easier question to answer.
The answer may be elusive for now, but it’s one that the Cowboys are in the process of, well, processing. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said after Sunday’s game that it’s not uncommon to evaluate all coaches after the season ends. Eberflus, with a defense that barely ranks above the last-place Cincinnati Bengals in terms of points allowed, will be chief among them.
Cowboys co-owner Stephen Jones indicated during an interview on 105.3 The Fan (KRLD-FM) on Monday that evaluating Eberflus will also be a complete evaluation. It’s based on the full body of work, which does include the final two road games of the season: Christmas Day against the Washington Commanders and the season finale against the New York Giants. Both offenses can be thwarted. The Commanders will likely turn to third-string quarterback Josh Johnson, who, at 39 years old, completed five of nine passes for 43 yards and an interception while replacing Marcus Mariota in Saturday’s loss to the Eagles. The Giants are ranked 23rd in the league in points per game — one spot ahead of Washington.
There’s a chance for Eberflus to make a final positive impression heading into the offseason — if a decision hasn’t already been made.
“I might not couch it as difficult,” Jerry Jones said about evaluating Eberflus. “It’s certainly something that we have to do, and that is look at the entire year and look at what our options are and how to correct not being here at the same time next year.”
Jones also said that Eberflus isn’t solely responsible for a Cowboys’ defense that’s on pace to allow the most points in a season in franchise history. Trading away pass rusher Micah Parsons right before the start of the season didn’t make it easy for a defense that has only 28 sacks through 16 weeks. The Cowboys have had their fair share of shuffling personnel, too, with some players getting injured, and other players, like linebacker DeMarvion Overshown and rookie corner Shavon Revel, coming back from injury late in the season. Even Quinnen Williams, arguably their most talented and most foundational piece on defense moving forward, arrived at the trade deadline and hasn’t had a full offseason with the Cowboys. To add insult to injury: Williams had neck soreness after suffering a concussion in the loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Dec. 14, forcing him to miss Sunday’s loss to the Chargersas well.
The personnel has changed this season. One part of the evaluation with Eberflus will be how much his scheme and his play-calling have adapted to those changes.
“We just haven’t been able to get an identity and do things we need to do to win football games,” Stephen Jones said on The Fan.
He continued later: “It’s just about making sure that we’re running the scheme that complements our players’ skill sets the best, because there’s no question we have some pieces … that we have to utilize.”
Attempts at adapting were made against the Chargers. Ultimately, the Cowboys allowed 300 passing yards, had zero sacks, and forced zero turnovers for the first time in over five years. The last time that happened was Nov. 8, 2020, when the Cowboys lost 24-19 to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Mike Nolan was the defensive coordinator for the Cowboys then. He only lasted one season in the role. Will Eberflus face a similar fate?
It might come down to the root cause of the defensive struggles, whether it’s the chicken or the egg.
“We are not executing. We are not getting done what we even run as a scheme,” Jerry Jones said on The Fan on Tuesday. “That’s very critical.”
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