Maybe Jerry Jones thought he had it all figured out going into the season. Or maybe he just had blind faith in Matt Eberflus‘ defense. Otherwise, why else would he ship Micah Parsons off to Green Bay?

Sure, one man doesn’t make a whole defense. But the past couple of weeks have made it pretty clear: the Dallas Cowboys‘ pass rush and pass defense are both in rough shape.

But if you ask JJ himself about the defensive issues, he’d tell you that the defenders have to take the responsibility. Following the Week 2 overtime win over the New York Giants, Jerry sat down with 105.3 The Fan, where he addressed the team’s defensive issues. He said:

“As much as anything, it’s a buying into the scheme. You’ve got to handle your responsibilities. You can’t just be out there trying to make a play. Make sure your (responsibilities are covered first). You can’t be a lone ranger out there.”

Jerry critiqued the team’s defensive discipline and adherence to assignments and now expects his defensive players to execute their roles.

But the question is: Without Micah, will Eberflus’ defense ever go on to execute their roles properly? Judging by the last game, it sure doesn’t look like it. The Cowboys may have escaped with an overtime win against the Giants, but they had no answers for Russell Wilson.

The veteran torched them for 450 yards and three touchdowns, and by the fourth quarter, Dallas’ pass defense looked completely gassed.

Sure, they took a lead with less than a minute to go in regulation. But did they secure a win? Not before overtime. All the Cowboys had to do was keep Wilson and his offense away from the end zone.

But instead, New York’s quarterback hit his go-to guy, Malik Nabers, for a 48-yard touchdown. If not for Brandon Aubrey‘s 64-yard field goal to force overtime, Dak Prescott would probably be thinking about the difference between 1-1 and 0-2.

The ugly signs were clear: The Cowboys needed one of the longest field goals in NFL history just to force overtime.

Though it won’t matter much now, in a hypothetical world, Micah Parsons’ pass rush against the Giant Wilson would have set a different narrative for Matt Eberflus’ defense. But thanks to Jerry Jones, that won’t be possible now.

Did the Giants gift an overtime win to Jerry Jones’ team?

The Cowboys’ defense looked much better in the season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles than it looked in Week 2. They lost the game, sure. But they also gave a hard time to the reigning Super Bowl champions.

So, when Week 2 rolled in, their defense was supposed to look good against the Giants. But instead, it came out flat. The reason?

Eberflus built his zone-heavy scheme on the idea that Parsons would be the one to speed up opposing QBs’ clocks. Without him wreaking havoc up front, that foundation has cracked, and the defense is paying the price.

The result? The Cowboys’ defense really had just one decent moment all game in Week 2, and it didn’t show up until overtime.

On the first overtime possession, Wilson threw a pass that was picked off by Donovan Wilson.

Prescott made them pay. He hit George Pickens to get Dallas into range, setting up Brandon Aubrey’s 46-yard game-winner. While it might sound dramatic, it’s safe to say Russell Wilson’s interception allowed Jerry Jones’ team to finally secure a win, even with a struggling defense.