Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer has to answer for the failures of defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus this week despite the franchise escaping with a win. The 40-37 OT victory over the Giants appeared to expose the unit and left many wondering how long Eberflus was going to be able to hold onto his job.
It isn't just the fact that the Cowboys gave up 37 points, but who they gave up this number to and the lack of adjustments from the DC. The Athletic's John Machota reported Schottenheimer's comments, who offered his thoughts on the situation.
"When you’re going to be multiple the way we are we have to communicate better. I didn’t think that our communication was to the standard that it needs to be," Schottenheimer said. "Any time you give up seven explosive passes, and (Russell Wilson) played incredibly well, but there was a lot of things that we can tighten up. I think that was what was so good about the meetings today is we don’t shy away from those things. We point those things out. Defense is hard, man. All 11 guys have to be doing the same thing. When it doesn’t happen, you open up yourself to big plays"
Cowboys Clearly Made a Mistake Hiring Former Bears HC Matt Eberflus
Schottenheimer's comments are easy to read as a clear critique of his defensive coordinator. When talking about a failure to communicate, this starts at the very top with Eberflus. It is fair to wonder if the Cowboys made a mistake with the defensive hire and could look to pivot after an early failure from the coach.
The most damaging piece of any of this is the fact that Russell Wilson passed for over 400 yards and a trio of touchdowns in a moment when it seemed that the quarterback was destined for the bench. No other team in the league appeared to have much interest in giving the former Seahawk, Bronco and Steeler a chance in the starting lineup. Failed tenures in Denver and Pittsburgh seemed to point to the fact that the best seasons of his career were far behind him, leading to the expectation that it was only a matter of time before Jameis Winston or Jaxson Dart made an appearance.
Going from this to playing at an MVP level is an understandable shock and points to a defense that simply isn't getting the job done.
If this level of struggles continues from Eberflus, the Cowboys are going to have no choice but to quickly pivot. Firing a coordinator this quickly in the year is a questionable decision, but one that must be made if the Russell Wilsons of the league continue to light up the defense at this level.
While the Cowboys aren't among the league's most talented defensive units, they are far better than what was put on display on Sunday. It clearly caught the attention of Schottenheimer, who may be forced to make an early, difficult decision this season.