Why Cowboys’ defense has struggled in Matt Eberflus’ new scheme

FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys (2-3-1) have lit up the scoreboard over the past three weeks, scoring 104 points while playing turnover-free football.

Yet they’re only 1-1-1 in that span — tying the Green Bay Packers (40-40), defeating the New York Jets (37-22) and falling to the Carolina Panthers (30-27). It marks the 79th three-game stretch since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger in which a team has averaged at least 30 points per game (34.7) without committing a turnover. The 2025 Cowboys are the only such team without a winning record in that span, per CBS Sports Research.

The reason? Under new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, Dallas has fielded one of the NFL’s worst defenses through six weeks. The Cowboys rank 30th or worse in nearly every major category — 31st in points allowed (30.7 per game), last in total defense (411.7 yards per game), 30th in yards per play allowed (6.2), last in third-down defense (53.2%), and last in passer rating allowed (116.9).

Communication breakdowns at the core

Chief among Dallas’ issues is something basic: communication. Missed calls in both the run and pass games have led to 49 explosive plays allowed this season — the second most in the league, trailing only the Miami Dolphins (50).

“It’s very frustrating. It’s all these points (given up), the receivers are running wide open down the field, too many busted coverages,” Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs said Sunday, via The Dallas Morning News. “It’s a lot. I feel like we’re all over the place, and we really don’t have an identity.”

Both Diggs and fellow cornerback Kaiir Elam acknowledged that communication remains a major problem — one that’s persisted since Week 2, when now-benched Giants quarterback Russell Wilson torched Dallas for 450 yards and three touchdowns in a 40-37 overtime loss.

“To be a good defense, we have to communicate at a high level and execute,” Elam said Monday. “We definitely can make a lot more plays, and we definitely [can] just be in a position that we’re supposed to. We all can lean on each other knowing that the other guy is going to do their job so you can do yours.”

Miscues in crucial moments

The Cowboys’ defensive miscues were on display late against Carolina. On a fourth-and-4 with 2:31 left, Panthers slot receiver Hunter Renfrow slipped open for a seven-yard gain that unofficially iced the game. Cornerback DaRon Bland played soft coverage, while linebacker Kenneth Murray was late rotating to Renfrow’s side.

“DaRon thought he was a little tighter than he was,” head coach Brian Schottenheimer said Monday. “They ran a condensed split. You never want to be double-pressed because of the pick. … There’s little things there that we can tighten up and clean up. That game didn’t come down to a fourth down. … Give them credit. They made plays when they needed to and we didn’t. And that’s why they came away with the win.”

“You have to be able to play the details of the call and understand what we’re trying to get done and just play ball within that,” Cowboys defensive tackle Kenny Clark said Monday. “For the most part, I think it’s just the details of the defense and just understanding the details.”   

Another example of Dallas’ communication issues came when Panthers No. 1 wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan went untouched off the line of scrimmage, through the secondary and past safety Donovan Wilson for an effortless 19-yard touchdown early in the second quarter.

“If you just watch the film, you can tell there were a lot of guys open,” Elam said. “A lot of schematic things we have to clean up.”

Scheme confusion adds to the chaos

Do players understand defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus’ scheme? It seems like a silly question to ask an NFL player, but with the way the Cowboys are playing, it’s certainly fair. Clark seems to think so despite the on-field play through six weeks.

“We’re all getting coached the same thing,” Clark said. “We have full trust in our coaches. … I understand the game plan, so I’m sure everybody else does.”

Still, the disconnect shows up on Sundays. According to TruMedia, the Cowboys have played zone coverage on 87.2% of defensive snaps — the highest rate in the NFL. Under former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, that number was 33.8%, the third-highest man coverage rate in the league at the time. Players like Diggs and Bland thrived in that man-heavy approach, but Dallas now plays man just 7.9% of the time — the lowest rate in the NFL.

“It’s just holding each other accountable and just getting to the bottom of that because we can’t go all year playing defense like this, especially with how our offense is playing,” Clark said. “If we can match that, we’re going to be a really tough team to beat.”

Schottenheimer: ‘We have to tighten up 10 to 15 percent’

Schottenheimer, who calls the offense, said he met “at length” with the defensive staff Monday to address the problems — not out of panic, he said, but to help provide solutions.

“It’s not to question. It’s to educate them from an offensive standpoint to make sure we’re on the same page,” Schottenheimer said. “To ask the question why. … That’s part of your job as a head coach. ‘Why is that the right call? Or why is that technique being used? Or why is that guy in that spot?'”

He emphasized that improved communication starts with confidence and vocal leadership.

“Guys have to be boisterous. Guys have to have command,” he said. “If you’re not sure, guys tend to whisper. We have to make sure our guys are damn sure, and that they know exactly what we’re doing so they can make the calls loud. … They have to say it [the call] loud. They have to do it with confidence. If you don’t speak with confidence, it’s hard sometimes to get everybody feeling confident.”

Despite the struggles, Schottenheimer backed Eberflus, insisting he remains the right coach to fix the defense.

“Matt Eberflus is a damn good football coach, and we have to perform better. … Part of me being in there [meetings] is to help, be an asset, tell him I believe him and I understand what he’s going through. It sucks, and it’s no fun, but we’re going to ride this thing out and again. We’ll play better. We really will.” 

What’s next?

With reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders coming to town in Week 7, Dallas doesn’t have much time to clean up its coverage issues. The Cowboys are a top-five scoring offense at 29.7 points per game (fourth in the NFL), and Dak Prescott ranks second in touchdown passes (13), trailing only Detroit’s Jared Goff (14).

But unless the defense finds its footing soon, Dallas’ offensive fireworks will continue to go to waste.