The Dallas Cowboys, a team that scores a gaudy 29.7 points per game, thanks to the laser-precise arm of Dak Prescott (who’s slung 13 TDs against just 3 INTs), are sitting here at 2-3-1. The defense has been historically generous, allowing a league-worst 411.7 total yards per contest. The mounting pressure on DC Matt Eberflus has reached the point where someone had to step out and offer a public pardon.

And that man was head coach Brian Schottenheimer, stepping straight into the fray. “I’ve been Matt,” Schottenheimer admitted. He continued, segmenting the tough reality, “I’ve been where people are calling you out and saying you don’t know how to coach and, ‘Man, this guy is the worst coach in history.’ Matt Eberflus is a damn good football coach.”

That declaration, a five-word, ‘I believe in him’ message tucked inside a full, raw defense, is the only thing that matters right now. “I understand what he’s going through.’ It s—s. It’s no fun. We’re gonna ride this thing out. And we’ll play better. We really will.” The decision regarding Eberflus’ future isn’t about parting ways; it’s about continuing to work and succeed together.

In the last game, Carolina tore through Dallas with ease, piling up 410 yards 216 of those on the ground. The Cowboys gave up 27 first downs and could only sack rookie Bryce Young once. It was the same story again missed tackles, blown assignments, and big plays slipping through their hands. For a team stacked with talent, Dallas just can’t seem to finish games, and that inconsistency keeps making them one of the league’s biggest mysteries.

The D-line is yielding 30.7 points per game, and opponents are converting 53.2% of third downs against them, which is also dead last in the league. That failure to get off the field is a corrosive poison. They’ve also given up 49 explosive plays, the 2nd-highest total in the NFL. Cowboys CEO Stephen Jones, sensing the need to dampen the panic, was left offering a different kind of support.

Stephen Jones’ blunt statement on Matt Eberflus’ defense

He called the defense a “work in progress.” About Eberflus, he further added: “There’s no question. Matt Eberflus has been a very successful defensive coordinator in this league…It’s a matter of our guys executing the defense, probably going to be some give and take in there.” He stressed the need to “go to work and chopping wood.” 

But that doesn’t mean he isn’t aware of his struggling defense. “We’ve got to continue to be more consistent, and we can certainly do it. I think this is a work in progress, obviously we’ve got a lot of work to do on the defensive side of the ball.”

Furthermore, when pressed on the catastrophic struggles in coverage, Jones attempted to deflect attention entirely, praising the unit’s 1 positive trait. “We think we’re doing great things defensively with stopping the run.” 

CeeDee Lamb is still finding his rhythm this season, and George Pickens, who has 6 receiving TDs, has to score every drive. The Panthers game was the perfect encapsulation of this duality. The offense put up 27 points, but the defense couldn’t get one single stop in the final six minutes. They coughed up a critical third and a fourth-down conversion that sealed the 30-27 loss.

This is why, outside of the locker room, the statement stings: the Dallas defense is unequivocally letting the offense down. Schottenheimer will argue otherwise, insisting, “You’re not going to find anybody in the offensive room that feels like the defense is letting us down,” while pointing out the offense’s failure to go “four for four in the red zone” against the Panthers.

Yet, a team that averages nearly 30 points shouldn’t require perfection from its QB to simply stay afloat. That’s an impossible weight to carry. The Cowboys are now staring down the Washington Commanders, who possess a dynamic offense of their own, and the schedule doesn’t get any easier.