Cowboys make Matt Eberflus change after Jerry Jones' comments

The Dallas Cowboys defense left much to be desired with its play in a second straight loss that torpedoed the club's playoff hopes. 

Shortly after, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones mentioned that Dallas' final three games of the regular season "will impact any adjustments that you make regarding coaching with the time frame we’re dealing with." 

Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus will already be part of an "adjustment," but not in the way some thought. 

Matt Eberflus has new gameday home while employed by Cowboys 

Per Tommy Yarrish of the Cowboys' website, Eberflus told reporters on Thursday that he and first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer "decided it would be best for Eberflus to move from the sideline up to the booth to call Dallas' defense" through Week 18. 

"I've done it before," Eberflus said about handling a defense from the booth. "It's been a while, but it's going to be a good adjustment."

The Cowboys acquired defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and linebacker Logan Wilson before the Nov. 4 trade deadline, and Dallas' defense subsequently was a strength for the team across three straight wins. However, the Cowboys then suffered a 44-30 loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 14. On Dec. 14, Dallas surrendered 34 points in a defeat against the Minnesota Vikings. 

According to ESPN stats, the Cowboys began Thursday ranked 29th in the league with an average of 374.9 yards allowed per game and 31st with an average of 30 points surrendered per contest. 

Matt Eberflus addresses possibly coaching for his job

"This is the NFL," Eberflus responded when asked about his uncertain future following Jones' comments, per Jon Machota of The Athletic. "Everybody is being evaluated throughout the whole league. That’s part of the job." 

Eberflus also insisted he won't be looking "for a vote of confidence" with the Cowboys needing a miracle to qualify for the playoffs. 

"It’s about doing your job," Eberflus added. "I know this is the NFL. We got to do a good job this week and focus on that. That’s where our feet are." 

The Cowboys may officially be eliminated from postseason contention when their home game against the Los Angeles Chargers (10-4) gets underway this coming Sunday. As of Thursday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook had Dallas as a 2.5-point home favorite for that matchup.