Even with a top-five offense on paper, frustration is boiling over in the Cowboys locker room. Last week, their Week 9 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals was seeking to rectify a loss, but they fell 27-17 at AT&T Stadium. The loss marked a second defeat and highlighted the stark contrast between Dallas’ explosive offense and porous defense.​ And now, one player is pointing the finger at his own unit.

 “Just have to cut out the mistakes on offense and play clean football,” Cowboys offensive guard Tyler Booker posted on X. “Our defense is playing lights out! #RTR”​

The comments against quarterback Dak Prescott’s offense were interesting, given the numbers. Through nine games, the Cowboys’ offense ranks fourth in the NFL in total yards per game (378.4). They rank third in passing yards per game (257.8). Against Arizona, QB Dak Prescott completed 24 of 39 passes for 250 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

All in all, the numbers point towards a healthy offense adding numbers consistently. However, the defensive side tells a drastically different story.

Dallas is only behind the Bengals in points allowed per game (30.8). The Cowboys’ defense has given up 254.4 passing yards per game, the fourth most this year, making them one of the most criticized defenses this year.

Despite that, the 2025 first-round pick has emerged as a vocal leader for the Cowboys’ defense, amidst his own questionable numbers. Booker’s performance against the Cardinals was a mixed bag on ESPN’s grading scale. While he posted strong grades in both run blocking (82.0) and pass blocking (86.0), his overall grade was hampered by an offensive holding penalty.​

Booker was flagged for offensive holding with 2:49 remaining in the first quarter. This happened on a third-and-7 play at the Dallas 26-yard line. A penalty that nullified a potential first down for the Cowboys. The holding call resulted in a 10-yard penalty against Dallas, forcing the Cowboys to punt away a scoring opportunity. Despite this costly mistake, Booker’s blocking assignments were executed at a high level.​

Through nine games, he has continued to develop into a legitimate NFL starter. As of Week 11, Booker ranks among the league’s best guards in pass protection efficiency. He has posted a 4.6% pressure rate, the fifth-lowest among NFL guards. This is particularly impressive given that Booker missed three games with a high ankle sprain suffered during Week 3 against the Chicago Bears.

It seems like the Cowboys’ offensive progress has been consistently undermined by defensive breakdowns. Even Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith has now called for the removal of defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and a return to Mike Zimmer’s proven system.

Cowboys’ defense spirals under Matt Eberflus

The NFL’s all-time leading rusher, Smith, didn’t mince words when discussing Eberflus’s performance as defensive coordinator.

“I think Brian Schottenheimer probably would want to take an evaluation of his defensive coordinator,” Smith said. “I think Mike Zimmer sits out there right now could be a great asset to the Dallas Cowboys right now…there are some defensive coordinators we should go get because I don’t think the one we have right now is truly maximizing talent we actually have.”​

Smith’s comments underline the Cowboys’ urgency in shoring up their defensive leadership. The conversation around potential replacements quickly turned to Mike Zimmer, a seasoned coordinator.

According to Cowboys reporter Ed Werner, Zimmer told him he “will not be returning to the Cowboys as a member of Brian Schottenheimer’s coaching staff and will likely retire from coaching in the NFL.”

Smith’s critique goes beyond just personnel decisions. He even expressed frustration with the fundamental issues plaguing the defense.

“Man, do we look like we are completely lost. I am befuddled at all of the things that are going wrong on the defensive side of the ball,” Smith said. “We look very basic and very fundamental. Nothing s*** about it. Still the mistakes are being made, which is to me is a sign of poor coaching defensively.”

It took until Week 9 for Eberflus to start Donovan Ezeiruaku and Jadeveon Clowney as the primary edge rushers. Despite both being impressive pass rushers. The Cowboys have employed three different defensive coordinators in three years. Dan Quinn (2021-2023), Mike Zimmer (2024), and now Eberflus (2025).

The constant scheme changes have also included the departures of players such as Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Jourdan Lewis. While building defensive consistency has proven impossible, the question remains whether Eberflus will be given the remainder of the season to prove himself.