Even after losing Micah Parsons to Green Bay right at the start of the season, the Dallas Cowboys have been playing like a playoff contender this season. And with Dak Prescott putting up MVP numbers, it’s not too hard to believe. If there is one thing that is holding the America’s team back, it’s their defense. And during yet another close defeat [30-27] to the Carolina Panthers, once again, Brian Schottenheimer’s team paid the price for its shaky defense. To top it all, the third-down penalty did not help either.

Cornerback Kaiir Elam made his feelings clear about the call. Considering how strict the league is with all those fines this season, it was not the best idea.

“I didn’t touch him with hands, and I played the ball, and my eyes were on the back of the football, Elam said. “I can’t get no tighter coverage than that. You just got to continue to keep playing. It’s a tough pill to swallow.”

You can’t really blame him. The call in question was a defensive pass interference on Elam during a third-and-7 from the Panthers’ 17-yard line. Bryce Young’s throw to Xavier Legette fell incomplete… until the flag flew. That 12-yard DPI wiped the stop off the board and gave Carolina a fresh set of downs.

Without that penalty, the Panthers would’ve been punting from deep in their own territory. Instead, the drive stayed alive. And in a game that was decided by three points, that one call loomed large. The Cowboys still had late chances. Quarterback Prescott continued his excellent form, leading a drive to tie the game at 27, but the defense couldn’t hold. Once again, the margin for error vanished.

Dallas went into the offseason knowing their secondary was a problem. Outside of DaRon Bland, there wasn’t much certainty, especially with Trevon Diggs struggling to stay healthy since his breakout year. That’s why trading for former Buffalo Bills first-rounder Kaiir Elam seemed like a smart move.

And for a while, it even looked like a steal. Elam started hot, racking up 15 tackles in his first two games, but his production dropped fast: just six tackles in the next three weeks. Still, it’s not all on him. The Cowboys’ defense as a whole has been one of the worst units in the league, and things hit a boiling point after this loss to Carolina.

Brian Schottenheimer did not hold back on DC Matt Eberflus

Apart from Prescott’s good game, WR George Pickens also had a season-best performance, accounting for nine catches, a career-high 168 yards, and a touchdown. But it’s the same old problems that cost Dallas. The defense was nowhere to be seen. Yet again. Schottenheimer seemed to have lost a little faith in his defensive coordinator when he was asked if the players still believed in the defensive scheme.

“That’s the bigger thing. I would hope so. I would think so,” Schottenheimer said. Anyone who’s followed Schottenheimer knows how loyal he usually is to his staff. But now, it sounds like even he’s running out of patience. About time.

The Cowboys gave up 410 total yards, including 239 yards and a touchdown to their former running back Rico Dowdle, who looked like a man on a mission. That kind of defensive effort is unacceptable for a supposed contender. Dallas came into the game allowing the fourth-most points per game (30.8) in the NFL.

Eberflus’ track record doesn’t help, either. His defenses haven’t cracked the top 10 since his days with the Indianapolis Colts, and his stint as the Chicago Bears’ head coach didn’t go any better. Before Chicago let him go last season, his defense ranked 27th in yards allowed and 13th in scoring. And it doesn’t seem like that record is going to get any prettier this season, either.