If the Dallas Cowboys are eliminated from playoff contention by the time they face the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, the only remaining silver lining over the final three games would be Matt Eberflus continuing to prove he isn’t the answer at defensive coordinator.
Nothing the Cowboys do this offseason to overhaul the defensive personnel will matter if Eberflus is still calling the defense in 2026. Jerry Jones’ public frustration after last week’s loss to the Vikings only added to the growing pressure on Eberflus.
Jones intimated that the final three games would be part of determining Eberflus' future with the team.
In light of that, Eberflus told reporters on Thursday that he and Brian Schottenheimer decided it would be best if he moved from the sideline up to the booth to call the defense for the next three weeks.
Cowboys DC Matt Eberflus will be calling plays from the booth to finish the season
If you want to know how desperate this move is, Eberflus told the media he hasn’t coached from the booth in 17 years, dating back to his time as the Browns’ linebackers coach, per Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News.
Perhaps a bird's eye view will help Eberflus see that it works when he sends pressure ... and that soft coverage is making life easy for opposing quarterbacks.
Eberflus knows his job is on the line, assuming that Jones hasn't already made a decision. While the 83-year-old is only just waking up and realizing that the Eberflus-scented coffee is expired, he has a 15-game sample size of the Cowboys' defense falling over themselves.
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Dallas has now allowed four quarterbacks to amass a season-high in passing yards this season, including Caleb Williams, Justin Fields, J.J. McCarthy, and Russell Wilson. The latter three QBs have all lost their job at some point during the season, and that doesn't include allowing 10 combined touchdown passes to Bryce Young, Bo Nix, and Jordan Love.
It's not fun to advocate for someone to lose their job, nor is it satisfying to find comedic relief in Eberflus taking desperate measures to save his job. But there's no justification for him keeping his job.
Jones cannot fall for the banana in the tailpipe if Eberflus finally decides to call an aggressive game for all four quarters. It should not have taken until the season being over for him to change his approach.