Dallas Cowboys fans have not been pleased with the performance of defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, who has been a big-time disaster. The Cowboys’ defense has struggled to stop teams on the ground and has gotten shredded through the air by opposing offenses.
Cowboys fans were angered by what they saw on Sunday as the Cowboys dropped a winnable game to the Carolina Panthers. Dallas received an outstanding game from Dak Prescott and the passing game, which was wasted as the defense could not hold up its end of the bargain.
Eberflus’ unit got crushed on the ground, as ex-Cowboy Rico Dowdle ran for 183 yards on 30 carries. He also led Carolina with four receptions (five targets) for 56 yards and a TD. Coming into Sunday’s game, Eberflus had to know that the top goal was to slow down Dowdle and make Bryce Young beat you.
That did not happen, which has been a common theme throughout the season. Now, Dallas fans want to see a change on the sidelines as soon as possible.
Cowboys DC Matt Eberflus Is on Thin Ice After Terrible Week 6 Loss
Eberflus has not done a good job putting guys in position to succeed this season, and coming up with a game plan to shut down an opposing team’s best player. Since their Week 1 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Cowboys’ defense has given up at least 30 points in four out of their last five games.
To make matters worse for Eberflus, Carolina had scored 30 points one other time this season, which was in Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons. Since that game, the Panthers averaged 20 points per game in their last two games entering Sunday.
The only time Eberflus looked like a competent defensive coordinator was in Week 5 against the winless New York Jets. The Cowboys’ defense had five sacks on Justin Fields and only gave up 22 points, despite Breece Hall running for 113 yards on 14 carries.
That said, beating up on the Jets isn’t going to garner a ton of excitement, as every other team this season has dominated New York’s offense.
Maybe some Cowboys fans hoped that Eberflus was turning the corner after what they saw in Week 5. However, as we see, the former Bears head coach reverted to what we saw in Week 2 vs. the New York Giants, who scored 37 points on Dallas.
There’s an old saying that goes, When someone shows you who they are, believe them. This perfectly describes Eberflus, who has not changed who he is as a playcaller. The Cowboys will not get better with him calling the shots. Dallas cannot afford to waste these performances that they’re getting from the offense. Eventually, Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer will have to make a tough decision.