The Dallas Cowboys have a big division game against the Washington Commanders on Sunday. Sitting at 2-3-1, the margin for error is pretty thin, and the defense needs to elevate its play to match their potent offense.
Dallas delivered some unexpected news that CB Trevon Diggs will miss the game due to a concussion, which could force the Cowboys to lean on Kaiir Elam. Nonetheless, the Cowboys made some changes this week in practice and seem poised to play more man coverage versus the Commanders.
According to Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas cornerbacks were seen running through man-press techniques during Thursday's practice. Matt Eberflus also said, "When your performance has been inconsistent or not to the standard, you look at everything."
Cowboys Could Finally Play More Man Coverage Versus Commanders
Going into Week 7, the Cowboys have played the most zone coverage in the league (85%) compared to the lowest man coverage rate (7.8%), per sharpfootballanalysis.com.
While they felt comfortable dropping back in zone and watching plays develop in front of them, it hasn't proven to be effective. Dallas is currently 32nd in the NFL in total defense (411.7) and pass defense (269.5). They are also 31st in scoring defense (30.7).
That's a stark contrast to their offense, which is first in the NFL in total offense (387.3) and third in scoring offense (29.7). If the defense can even be just average, it'll raise the ceiling of this team's potential for the 2025 season.
Eberflus knows his unit needs to play better and took some accountability for their lackluster performances. It'll be interesting to see if this defense actually sprinkles in some man coverage looks to throw the Commanders offense off.
This may be the perfect time to deploy these new looks, since Washington WR Terry McLaurin has already been ruled out with a quad injury and fellow WR Deebo Samuel is questionable with a heel injury.
There's a chance that Washington will be without their top two WRs, and even if Samuel suits up, he'll be less than 100% as he said the heel "is aggravating for sure," per ESPN's John Keim.
It'll be interesting to see how the defense looks out there in Week 7, but it's clear they are looking to make some changes to their scheme heading into a pivotal division matchup.