With Jerry Jones trading for DT Quinnen Williams and LB Logan Wilson, the Dallas Cowboys have sent a clear message: They still believe this season can be salvaged, but the defense needs to be much better.
That's not much of a hot take, given that this team has scored the second-most total points in the league (263), but they've also given up the second-most points (277). One doesn't need to be a football savant to realize that that is not a winning formula.
That's why it's time for defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus to make some tweaks. He needs to play whoever is doing the best job, regardless of his pedigree, résumé, or history in the league. That's bad news for Dante Fowler Jr.
The Cowboys Need to Bench Dante Fowler Jr.
The Cowboys saw Dante Fowler Jr. put up 10.5 sacks with the Washington Commanders last season, one sack short of tying his career-best mark of 11.5 from 2019, and didn't hesitate to lure him back to Arlington on a one-year deal. So far, he's started eight of nine games, but the production hasn't been anything close to last year's.
As shown by PFSN's Impact Metric, Fowler ranks 71st among EDGE rushers this season with a 68.7 grade. He's played the third-most snaps among Cowboys defensive ends this season (215), but he's logged just nine total tackles, nine QB hits, three tackles for loss, and 2.0 sacks.
His playing time has been trending down in recent weeks, going from around 40% of the snaps through the first five weeks all the way down to 27, 34, 32, and finally 10% of the snaps. Even the ever-struggling Sam Williams has been on the field more often -- and fared better -- than Fowler in recent weeks.
The Cowboys are also finally unleashing rookie pass rusher Donovan Ezeiuraku. He played a season-high 51 defensive snaps in the 27-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, and he has shown glimpses of the strong play that made him one of the most promising draft picks in this class.
Fowler is going to be a free agent at the end of the season, and the Cowboys are unlikely to bring him back unless it's on a low-money deal for depth purposes. With that in mind, it's only right that Ezeiuraku takes his starting spot for the remainder of the season, with Williams also getting a final chance to prove that he can make an impact on this team.