The Dallas Cowboys have given up 92 points in three games. They allowed Russell Wilson, who just lost his job, to throw for 450 yards and put up 37 points on them. It doesn't take a football savant to realize something has to change.
That's why, in the wake of the Green Bay Packers' visit to AT&T Stadium, defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus has chosen to make things easier for his pupils. According to Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News, the team wants to simplify play-calling.
Simplifying Defensive Calls Won't Fix Issues Plaguing Cowboys
"Cowboys DC Matt Eberflus said Wednesday was one of the best practices of the young season. Eberflus noted the Cowboys changed their calls to one word to simplify things on the back end," Watkins wrote on X.
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer had already hinted at this. While Jerry Jones reaffirmed his confidence in Eberflus and the coaching staff, it's clear that the first-year coach has some doubts about the way they're doing things:
“I do think as a coach, you look for solutions,” Schottenheimer told Jon Machota of The Athletic. “And if we’re not doing certain things well then by simply deleting some things that makes you simplify. It doesn’t mean that we’re going to go with one front, with one coverage. We’re not going to do that. We’re still going to be multiple. But absolutely, we’d be crazy if we didn’t look to simplify and focus on execution."
Unfortunately, it might take much more than just some minor tweaks to address what needs to be fixed. Regardless of coaching, new schemes, and defensive play-calling, the Cowboys might not have the personnel to turn things around.
Dallas led the league in takeaways in back-to-back seasons in 2021 and 2022, but Micah Parsons is no longer there to put pressure on the quarterback and force erratic throws. They've gotten four sacks through three weeks, and that includes three against the New York Giants in Week 2. They couldn't even sack Caleb Williams, who was dropped a league-worst 68 times last season.
Adding 32-year-old Jadeveon Clowney to the mix should help a little, but only so much. And while Kenny Clark has helped the run defense allow nearly 30 fewer rushing yards per game this season (down from 137 to 110 rushing yards per game), they still don't have a physical front seven to get the job done.
Add Trevon Diggs' never-ending struggles in coverage to the mix, and it's clear that this team needs help all over the place on that side of the ball.
Matt Eberflus needed to make some adjustments, and he should definitely be held accountable. Still, this team has had four defensive coordinators in the last six years, with Dan Quinn being the only one who lasted more than a year. Clearly, their issues run a little deeper.