Coming off a game where the Dallas Cowboys allowed Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears to look like a top-5 offense, something had to change. Dallas' defense, to this point, has been abysmal.
It's been an embarrassment. And, this is as much on defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus as it is on anyone else. But, is Eberflus actually taking the right steps to fix things? In his latest time with the media, the former Bears head coach decided to make himself and his tactics look even worse.
In addition to noting that the Cowboys had one of their best practices yet on Wednesday, Eberflus also noted that he made the decision to switch defensive play calls to just one word.
You read that right, and yes, it is as silly as it sounds.
Matt Eberflus' latest attempt to fix the Cowboys defense is as absurd as it sounds
Now, this isn't an end-all, be-all type of assessment. But, in general, defensive play calls are anywhere from three words all the way up to nine or 10, depending on whether there are any stunts or shifts added onto the base call.
And, to be fair, Eberflus could have been speaking in generality. He might have meant the defense went from your typical three-word base call to a singular word. So, not to over-hyperbolize the topic, let's be fair.
But at the same time, anyone who has played football in their lifetime even dating back to the simplest high school schemes will tell you that they'd be able to handle 3-to-5 words, no problem.
This isn't a big ask. This isn't anything earth-shattering. No, Eberflus switching the defensive calls to just one word is a hilarious, last-ditch attempt to fix something.
The problem is, Eberflus is taking a bizarre approach. If he's insinuating that his defensive players aren't talented enough to handle a typical play call, then there is a much, much deeper-rooted problem in place.
This is the NFL. I don't know how I can overstate this, here, folks. This is the NFL, and professional football players should have absolutely zero issue with your standard ways of play calling. So, when Eberflus has to water down the defensive play calls -- and in his first season here in Dallas -- it should raise some red flags.
Maybe this isn't a play-calling issue. Maybe, the Cowboys defense just isn't all that good. Maybe, even your average fan would be able to tell you that.
I hate to beat a dead horse, here, but what in the world did we think was going to happen when this franchise refused to prioritize a Micah Parsons extension? Furthermore, the Cowboys allowed Jourdan Lewis to walk out the door and, oh look, he's flourishing in Jacksonville.
No, this is basically Eberflus trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. It isn't going to fix a thing. This is not the issue we need to be addressing, here. The real issue is a lack of overall talent, period.