All things considered, the Dallas Cowboys' record could be much worse at this point. Not many teams that allow the most total yards (432.5), passing yards (297.2), and the second-most points per game (33.0) would be 1-2-1 after four weeks.
However, as glaring as their defensive issues are, they don't seem to be interested in addressing them or tweaking things. Instead, they just lost one of the linebacker options they had in the practice squad.
Cowboys Lose LB Buddy Johnson to Colts
According to a report by NFL insider Aaron Wilson, the Indianapolis Colts signed veteran LB Buddy Johnson off the Cowboys' practice squad. That unit was already thin and underperforming, and even if he wasn't much of a factor, losing him could present trouble.
Johnson played 18 snaps in the season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles, all of them on special teams. All in all, he played 370 snaps on special teams and just seven on defense since he arrived in Arlington three years ago. He made two appearances in 2023 and 14 last season.
The former fourth-round pick out of Pittsburgh could've been another option to solve the team's massive struggles at linebacker. So far, Kenneth Murray Jr. and Jack Sanborn have gotten most of the snaps, but their problems in coverage are glaring, and the Cowboys are giving up 123.3 rushing yards per game.
Matt Eberflus Downplays Linebacker Concerns
Perhaps the most worrisome thing about this defense isn't that they've struggled so mightily as much as it is they don't seem to be concerned. If anything, Matt Eberflus had nothing but praise for Sanborn and Murray after yet another subpar performance:
“I think Jack [Sanborn] has really played the run well. I thought he did a nice job last week and the prior weeks as well. He’s really doing a good job in command of the defense," he told the media. "And then K9’s [Kenneth Murray] had some good weeks. He’s one of the leaders of the defense, and he’s out there making the calls.”
Marist Liufau has shown flashes of strong and physical play, and he should be a strong candidate to take the field early and often going forward. But at the end of the day, it will be on the defensive coordinator to make the necessary adjustments to turn things around, and it seems like Eberflus is looking at a different tape and stats than everybody else.