Matt Eberflus assigns blame for Cowboys' defensive struggles after Jerry Jones comments

Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones recently insisted that defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus was not the only person to blame for the struggles the Dallas defense endured throughout the 2025 campaign. 

Eberflus then raised eyebrows when he suggested on Thursday that his job was made more difficult once Jones traded star pass-rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers in late August. That said, some seemingly overlooked the fact that Eberflus also accepted blame for the performances of a unit that routinely let the Cowboys down this season.

Matt Eberflus accepts "ownership and accountability" regarding Dallas defense

"Ownership and accountability is right with me," Eberflus directly said, per Jon Machota of The Athletic. "I’m the defensive coordinator, so it’s always that. … I take full accountability."

Along with two first-round draft picks, Jones acquired proven defensive tackle Kenny Clark for Parsons. While the Cowboys entered their bye at 3-5-1, they then notched three straight wins after Eberflus was given defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and linebacker Logan Wilson ahead of the trade deadline. 

Nevertheless, Dallas' defense ultimately failed to step up across three consecutive defeats as the team was bounced from postseason contention. ESPN stats show that the Cowboys head into the first weekend of 2026 ranked 30th in the league with an average of 376.8 total yards surrendered per game and last with an average of 29.8 points allowed per contest. 

"...I thought we had a good stretch there," Eberflus said about the play of the Dallas defense during the fall. "I thought the stretch was pretty good. We started to improve. I know we improved in the run defense and the third-down defense. And then from there, we just didn’t execute the way we wanted to at certain moments. Certainly, some good execution in there at times, but it’s got to be better."

Has Matt Eberflus already been told about his status? 

Despite Jones' latest comments, many expect that he will essentially tell first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer to dismiss Eberflus as soon as this coming Monday. Per Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News, Eberflus said on Thursday that he's focused on how 7-8-1 Dallas can close the season out with a win at the lowly New York Giants (3-13) on Sunday. 

"My mindset has always been the same," Eberflus explained. "It’s a one week at a time, one day at a time, and you’re focusing on coaching your players, getting them in the best positions, and teaching them the scheme. Whether it’s first or second down, we got third down today, but that’s always been my focus."