Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus has a laundry list of reasons his tenure in the DFW has been a disaster thus far. On many levels, Eberflus just doesn't get it. It seems like fans of "America's Team" have a better grasp on football decisions than the Cowboys' brain trust.
Unfortunately, Sunday's clash with the Minnesota Vikings didn't help with Eberflus' outlook, as the Cowboys allowed four touchdowns (two rushing, two receiving) in the 34-26 loss. It's just another example of Dallas' DC clearly not being equipped for his job. And now that the team's playoff hopes are hanging by a thread, it's never been clear that Eberflus shouldn't have a future in the Lone Star State, no matter what happens next.
Matt Eberflus' Job Is Beyond Saving After Week 15
Usually, holding Vikings star wideout Justin Jefferson to 22 yards on two catches is a recipe for success, but that wasn't the case on Sunday. Instead, the Cowboys led fellow receiver Jailon Nailor find the end zone twice, while quarterback J.J. McCarthy and fullback C.J. Ham found success on the ground.
Owner/general manager Jerry Jones threw Eberflus a bone in acquiring linebacker Logan Wilson from the Cincinnati Bengals at the trade deadline. Fellow LB Kenneth Murray Jr. is in the midst of a poor season in which he often feels invisible, making it clear that the position needed a boost. Wilson was acquired for a seventh-round pick, which hardly broke the bank, but his arrival was meant to spark a change in attitude. He can't lead by example if he's not given the chance to set an example.
Thus far, Wilson hasn't gotten that chance. He's played fewer than 46% of defensive snaps in each of his last three games before Week 15. And including Sunday, he's now played less than 30 snaps in three of his last four games.
But of course, unless he proves himself in practice, it might not matter to the man calling the shots.
"That comes down to the practice tape and the execution. Making plays on the ball. I've always said when I was coaching Sean Lee here, the linebacker's job is to hit the ball, Eberflus said about the team's LB competition earlier this week (h/t @NickHarrisFWST). "You are the point of attack, there is no backside for you... You should make ball production, force fumbles, recover fumbles, interceptions. You should have all of those things, because you're in the middle of the defense, and that's what we're looking for."
It gets worse. Dallas's last defeat, a 44-30 shootout loss to the Detroit Lions, was a direct result of Eberflus's reluctance to blitz. Despite giving up 20 first-half points, the Cowboys' defense continued to let quarterback Jared Goff sit back and methodically pick them apart while running backs Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery established the run with slow-and-steady gains, for the most part. The Lions punted twice all game. Sure, the special teams did them no favors and constantly put them in a position to lose. Detroit was not pressured enough on nearly every drive, though.
If that isn't enough to cost Eberflus his job, he's also hurting two of the Cowboys' most promising defenders' development.
Matt Eberflus is Sabotaging DeMarvion Overshown, Shavon Revel Jr.
Two players who are straight up suffering from Eberflus' tenure are linebacker DeMarvion Overshown and rookie cornerback Shavon Revel Jr., who have injury caveats but should still be performing better than they are.
For Overshown, it's Eberflus' toxic standard coverage trait rearing its ugly head. Eberflus's predecessor, Mike Zimmer, deployed Overshown on 74 pass-rushing snaps during the 2024 season, according to Pro Football Focus. For comparison, Perhaps, the ex-Texas Longhorn has only recorded five pass-rushing opportunities before Sunday's clash with the Minnesota Vikings.
Perhaps, it's the ACL, MCL, and PCL tears gives Eberflus some pause, but it's a philosophical shift that's affected the entire defense.
Meanwhile, Revel is being shoehorned into a role he's not as strong in during his rookie season. Eberflus is insistent in forcing him into zone coverage. Revel got drafted out of Group of 5 East Carolina in the third round back in April because of his strengths in man coverage. Interestingly enough, Trevon Diggs also made his issues clear with the Cowboys' lack of man coverage earlier in the season.
Eberflus isn't playing to the strengths of his defense, and is getting the appropriate results for it. The mark of a good coach is that he knows when to adapt and change his game plan if something is working. Clearly, the Cowboys' DC didn't get the memo.
At the end of the day, Eberflus has given Jones & Co. every reason to sever ties after the season. Unless he does an outstanding job in the Cowboys' remaining games, it's obvious that an offseason firing must be among the first things that America's Team does this offseason.