Black Monday is already wreaking havoc across the NFL, with multiple head coaches being shown the door. Now, Dallas Cowboys fans are waiting to see if Jerry Jones adds to the carnage by firing Matt Eberflus after his defense capped a ghoulish season by allowing 34 points to the Giants.
The Cowboys typically prefer to complete their end-of-season evaluation before making decisions about a coach’s future. The problem is that Jerry Jones rarely operates with the urgency required to avoid missing out on top replacements.
That happened with Mike McCarthy exactly one year ago, and if the latest rumors are true, Jones is going to double down on that mistake.
According to Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Cowboys aren’t expected to make a decision on Eberflus for another “10 to 12 days,” following the completion of their review process.
Cowboys somehow still havent' decided that Matt Eberflus should be fired
"The only clear timeline Schottenheimer or Jones provided on Sunday was that 10-to-12-day range," Harris writes. "With season evaluations expected this week, the decision could come down next week. However, according to Jones, there will be a lot to look at defensively that doesn’t include fault by way of Ebreflus in his eyes."
Maybe the review process doesn't take that long, but this is still nothing short of embarrassing.
While it’s true that Jerry Jones told the media last week that Eberflus isn’t the only problem, that felt more like posturing than conveying conviction in Eberflus. It doesn’t change the fact that Jones spent the last month publicly eviscerating Eberflus, and the 83-year-old has never brought back a coach after speaking this negatively about them.
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This is merely a case of delaying the inevitable, which is exactly what Jones did with McCarthy and Jason Garrett. Dragging out those decisions hindered the team's ability to interview suitable replacements.
Not that Jones would've interviewed them anyway, but Dallas missed out on interviewing Ben Johnson, Mike Vrabel, and Liam Coen last year. They are all deservedly in the mix to win Coach of the Year.
That isn't to say Brian Schottenheimer was a bad hire, but the process that led Jones to hiring Schottenheimer was rotten to its core. In one of the most stacked coaching cycles in recent memory, the only other candidates who interviewed were Robert Saleh, Leslie Frazier, and Kellen Moore.
Moving quickly is the Cowboys' best chance to land the strongest possible replacement. Raheem Morris has already been fired by the Falcons, and Jim Schwartz may become collateral damage of the Browns' decision to fire head coach Kevin Stefanski. The longer Eberflus remains employed, the less likely it is that Dallas will get the chance to interview one of them.
It's happening all over again. Because of course it is.