Dallas Cowboys fans have had more than enough of new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus despite the season only being three weeks old. Even with the loss of star pass rusher Micah Parsons taken into account, there simply is no excuse for how the coach has the unit prepared. Getting blown off the field by Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears was a new low, leading to the DC being forced to face some tough questions on Thursday.
Unfortunately, per The Athletic's Jon Machota, Eberflus' latest comments take very little responsibility for the Cowboys' early defensive woes.
"These guys are three games into it. It's a long season... The guys are working hard at it. The guys are doing a great job of communicating this week. I just think it's growth. These guys are in a new system... Has it been where we want it to be so far? No, it hasn't... It's important that we just stay consistent, stay in the process."Matt Eberflus, Cowboys DC
One would think that after giving up 68 points in two weeks, perhaps Eberflus would be more willing to admit that he's a part of the problem. Instead, he is pointing out the lack of execution and experience from his players. Although it is being given a positive spin on what Dallas is building moving forward, Eberflus isn't exactly giving America's Team a concrete reason to keep him around.
Cowboys DC Matt Eberflus Is Hurting His Outlook by Deflecting Blame
Eberflus needs to own his team's failure, even if his sentiments are true. There is no denying that the players aren't executing and that a new system is going to take time to sink in for the Cowboys' roster; however, it's on him as a coordinator to understand this and make in-game adjustments to at least give the team a chance to stop the opposition.
The Cowboys need to score 40 points per game just to have a chance to win right now. That just isn't sustainable, regardless of Eberflus' excuses. Winning must come from both sides of the ball, and the way Dallas is currently operating is inexcusable based on the talent on the roster.
Eberflus not wearing the failure is only going to continue to push the idea that owner/general manager Jerry Jones should make a change. To put it simply, no matter who the franchise replaces Eberflus with, the results can't get any worse. If the Cowboys' defense doesn't show drastic improvement against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, it's hard to imagine the veteran DC keeping his job in October.
Cowboys fans would welcome a shake-up if the status quo remains for another week. Eberflus isn't helping matters, failing to take responsibility and placing blame on his players instead. Keeping that up will only make his seat hotter, increasing the possibility that he won't be on Brian Schottenheimer's staff come Week 18, if not much sooner.