As Week 16 winds up, Jerry Jones faces tough decisions that could shape the team’s entire future. The Cowboys sit at 6-8-1, far outside the playoff picture. A lot of blame lands squarely on Dallas’ defense, led by defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. And after the Cowboys fell 17-34 to the Chargers, Jones addressed Eberflus’ immediate future with the team.

“I might not couch it as difficult,” Jones says. “(Evaluating him is) something we have to do.” 

The Cowboys’ defense ranks 29th in the league, allowing over 300 total yards per game to opponents. No wonder Jerry thinks it’s time to evaluate their defensive strategy, because the quarterback, Dak Prescott, could only carry them this far in the season.

However, Eberflus marks Dallas’s third defensive coordinator in three years, and that rapid turnover has Jerry rethinking his own choices about pulling the trigger so fast in the past. So at this point in the season, with so much already on the line, firing Eberflus is something Jones said he “won’t do.”

However, even with Eberflus in the booth, the number of red flags this week against the Chargers means he will continue to face serious scrutiny. The Chargers offense ran all over the Cowboys defense with over 450 yards in the game, turning what should have been a winnable matchup into a total rout.

Quarterback Justin Herbert had a season-high 79.3% completion rate and a 132.8 passer rating that picked apart Dallas from start to finish. And the Chargers QB, leading the league in sacks and fourth in interceptions, had none today. Zero.

But while the defense struggled, the Cowboys’ offense again had to drag them with 17 points in the game, yet even that wasn’t enough to overcome the meltdown.

Jerry Jones says blame falls on us all

Prescott and the Cowboys offense have been setting records on fire all season long, carrying the load for a struggling defense. The offense ranks number one in the league in total yards. And Prescott leads the league in pass attempts and completions. But the Chargers’ defense ranks 2nd in the league, and we saw why. It held the Cowboys to just 17 points since the 2nd quarter.

Hence, Jerry believes all these mistakes don’t just fall on one person; they fall equally on everyone.

“Absolutely. We all underachieved this season,” Jerry added.

The Boys did actually underachieve this season. They fell to the Eagles in Week 1 and managed just three wins through nine weeks. Plus, this marks the worst season in terms of total wins (just six) since Prescott joined the team. The only time the Cowboys had that few wins came in the 2020 season with Andy Dalton. 

Now, even though there’s no point in looking forward, the Cowboys travel to Washington in Week 17. That being said, this marks the second year in a row for Jerry Jones and company to miss the playoffs.