The Defense’s Failures Highlight Matt Eberflus’ Move Upstairs

The Cowboys Defense Has Shown Us Warnings All Season

The story of this defense doesn’t need much explanation. The problems have been visible in real time.

Third-and-long situations never felt safe, red-zone snaps felt weak rather than competitive, and every lead was anxiety-ridden.

The numbers simply show what we all have seen watching this defense every week.

Dallas current defensive ranks:

• 32nd in passing yards allowed
• 29th in total yards allowed
• 31st in points allowed
• 31st in touchdowns allowed (50)
• 30th in third-down defense
• 30th in red-zone defense

Those numbers are terrible. When a defense struggles in every category, outcomes stop being random. They become inevitable.

This Defense Was Never About Stopping the Run

One of the most frustrating parts of the discussion surrounding this defense has been that the wrong problem was spotlighted.

Dallas ranks 18th in rushing yards allowed, which is middle of the league.

That’s not dominance, but it’s not collapse either. The defense hasn’t been physically overwhelmed up front, but it hasn’t been as good as we thought it would be either.

The damage to this defense has come through the air.

Fans have watched lower tier quarterbacks have their best games against this defense. Coverage failures are this team’s superpower.

The defense has struggled, but none of that points back to run defense or effort up front.

Aaron Whitecotton’s Role Matters to the Defense

Aaron Whitecotton has been on the sideline all season, and that will not change. What will change is his responsibilities.

Whitecotton is now handling defensive assignments and possibly in-game adjustments at field level while Eberflus will oversee the defense from the booth.

That shift matters because it shows signs of the front office and the head coach believes the breakdowns have been happening.

I’m not an expert, but defense depends on clarity, alignments, checks, route handoffs, and motion communication.

Those details help decide passing downs, third downs, and red-zone plays. Giving Whitecotton that authority tells me the issue wasn’t just play design, it was delivery.

If the defense needed clearer, faster communication on the sideline, that change shouldn’t have happened in December.

Timing is Why this Defensive Change Feels Hollow

One thing I have noticed over the years is third-downs and red-zone rankings stabilize early in the season.

Once a defense sinks near the bottom in both, it means opponents have repeatedly identified the same weaknesses week after week.

That is why I think this change doesn’t feel proactive.

The defense didn’t suddenly become disorganized. We saw the warning signs long before this final stretch.

This defense doesn’t need reinvention in December, it needed urgency in October.

What Moving Matt Eberflus Upstairs Means

From a football perspective, moving to the booth makes sense. Eberflus gets a cleaner view of spacing, personnel, and tendencies.

Maybe being moved from the chaos of the sideline and being able to diagnose issues better will help.

I see this as a logical move. Putting him in the booth eliminates oversights from execution.

If we see the defense improve, maybe it was a communication issue, but if it doesn’t, this move will confirm the issues are deeper than positioning and perspective.

I see this as a final evaluation for Eberflus to keep or lose his job.