The Dallas Cowboys‘ defense isn’t clicking. Not a bit. In that case, the Dallas Nation would like to hold someone accountable. Defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus remains the frontrunner for the role, even as his schemes have faced scrutiny and fueled calls for his firing this season.

However, the Cowboys’ owner-slash-general manager, Jerry Jones, had shown confidence in his DC’s abilities through the first six weeks. Fast forward to now, and as the Cowboys are ready to host the Washington Commanders on Sunday, Jerry reiterated the same. Once Again!

“He’s (Eberflus) been in that; he’s had tremendous experience,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan. “He’s dealt with adversity with a long record of, not only with us, but with his tenure at Chicago and Indianapolis. And he’s had some great successes. But he’s had his tail kicked. That’s who I want in the foxhole with me. Because there’s no such thing as having all of the answers. I jumped at it when I saw we had the chance to get him. I still feel as strongly as the day that I brought him in here.”

The signs are clear: The Cowboys aren’t making a move on the defensive coordinator position just yet. Another sign that seems clear, however, is that the Cowboys’ players aren’t much thrilled with Eberflus’ schemes. And rightfully so. Take the 30-27 Week 6 loss to the Carolina Panthers, for instance.

They allowed 30 points in the loss, bringing their season total to 184 points allowed, an average of 30.7 points per game. That ranks them 31st in the league. Additionally, the Cowboys are last in the NFL in passing yards allowed with 1,617 and rank 29th against the run, giving up 853 rushing yards.

To put that in perspective, Dallas’ defense allowed 401 total yards (194 passing yards and 216 rushing yards) against the Panthers. And they just couldn’t contain the Panthers’ RB, Rico Dowdle. Dowdle piled up over 200 scrimmage yards. He rushed for 183 yards on 30 carries while also adding 56 yards on 4 receptions through the air with one touchdown.

The Cowboys’ defense is ugly, and it requires some amendments, maybe a change in the DC position. But Jerry Jones isn’t on board with this move just yet. Correction: Besides Jerry, neither the first-year head coach, Brian Schottenheimer, nor the team’s VP and son of Jerry, Stephen Jones, is on board with parting ways with Eberflus.

“I’ve been Matt,” Schottenheimer said on Monday. “I’ve been a coordinator. And 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. We have to perform better. But I’ve been him, so part of me being in (the defensive meeting room) is to help as an asset, to tell him, ‘I believe in him. I understand what he’s going through.’ It sucks. It’s no fun. We’re gonna ride this thing out. And we’ll play better. We really will.”

Stephen echoed the same sentiment, as the Cowboys’ VP noted, “We’ve got good personnel and I think we’re gonna evolve into a good defense. We just have to go to work.”

Having said that, a couple of things are clear: The Cowboys’ defense has been ranking near the bottom through six weeks. And Jerry Jones is kind of avoiding making a change on the defense.

Jerry Jones’ quarterback didn’t get the trust back

The Cowboys’ offense surely struggled to take a lead on their final possession against the Panthers in Week 6, but the overall offense looked sharp. Take a look at Dak Prescott and George Pickens‘ performances. The quarterback completed 25-of-34 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. Pickens, on the other hand, just had the best game of the season so far.

The wideout caught 9 receptions for 168 yards and racked up a passing score. The offense is clicking. But that can’t be said about the defensive side of the ball. And that’s where the trust issues arise for Prescott. “It’s a team game. You’ve got to trust the other side. Unfortunately, we just didn’t get it back,” the quarterback said.

But amidst all the turmoil, Prescott still believes that the defense will eventually find its footing as the season goes deeper. “That we go against them every day,” he said when asked what makes him so optimistic about the defense. “It’s an iron sharpens iron mentality. I understand the players and pieces they have over there. You see them getting better. They’re getting better.”

The Cowboys are currently 2-3-2 heading into Week 7. They will now host the Commanders next in AT&T Stadium, and we’ll see if Eberflus’ unit can manage to meet Jerry, Schottenheimer, Stephen, Dak, and literally everyone’s expectations.