Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus has gained something with the Jones family you never want after getting a strong endorsement out of the gate: indifference. It's clear in Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones' recent tone that Eberflus is running out of chances.
Jones revealed that Brian Schottenheimer made the call to move Eberflus to the coaching box from the sideline. The move was painted as one that's a result of the team "just looking for long-term solutions."
“We’re just looking for long-term solutions. Coach Schottenheimer is the one who came up with the idea. He sat with Coach Eberflus and they came to the conclusion that it would be a good idea," Jones said, via Jon Machota of The Athletic.
Jones wouldn't directly answer the question when asked what Schottenheimer would do if he wanted to make a change to his coaching staff, something seemingly aimed at drawing an answer that'd reveal the brain trust has complete autonomy. Instead, the executive spoke about the team's upcoming matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers at AT&T Stadium in Week 16.
“Guys, we’re not going to get into theoreticals. We’re worried about the upcoming game. We play the Chargers. We’ll continue to work hard, not only to beat the Chargers, but obviously to continue to take the next step to make this a better football team as we go forward into the future," Jones said.
Brian Schottenheimer Clearly Doesn't Want Matt Eberflus Anymore
This move reeks of Schottenheimer doing anything to put up with Eberflus. He sent him as far away as possible on gamedays to give the DC a different perspective on the action, but perhaps also to distance himself from the disaster on that side of the ball.
Schottenheimer, with Klayton Adams' input, has done his part in the offensive play-calling department. Dallas has the fifth-ranked scoring offense and the league-leader in total offense, passing yards, and expected points added per play. Dak Prescott has looked like a new quarterback following his hamstring tear last November.
Schottenheimer will likely now see his name dragged through the mud this offseason because the Cowboys will once again fail to make the playoffs. And his name will be connected to it, even though the offense has, for the most part, been stellar.
The thing is, in Dallas, the head coaching role is limited. Schottenheimer's team has performed as well as the Jones family allowed him to do.