Cowboys DC Matt Eberflus announces a decision that fully confirms he’s on the hot seat
The Dallas Cowboys DC made a surprising announcement ahead of Week 16.
If it wasn’t already clear that Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus was on the hot seat, it is now.
A couple of days after Jerry Jones publicly admitted the next three games will be a “big criteria” for evaluating whether or not Eberflus is keeping his job in 2026, the defensive coach announced a big change to his gameday approach that comes off as a last-resort move.
Eberflus to make a big change
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Eberflus announced he would be moving to the coaching booth to call plays from there, claiming they “think it’s going to be a good adjustment.” To make the move in Week 16 only days after his job security was questioned by the owner himself isn’t exactly a promising sign.
It’s a pretty big shift for Eberflus, who despite saying he’s done it before, hasn’t been in that situation ever. Per Joe Hoyt, Eberflus said the last time he was up in the booth was in 2009-2010 as the linebackers coach for the Cleveland Browns. That in no way resembles calling plays from the booth.
In four years as the Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator, he called plays from the sideline. In his three years with the Chicago Bears, his role as head coach obviously kept him away from the booth as well.
Is coaching from the booth a bad idea?
Short answer: No, it isn’t. Many defensive and offensive coordinators are successful taking advantage of the bird’s eye view from the booth. Dan Quinn led one of the league’s best defenses from the booth for the Cowboys. Though it’s a trade off because communication with players isn’t the same, it provides an All-22 look difficult to get from the sideline.
However, for Eberflus to do so in Week 16 when his process has been different pretty much his entire career? It’s difficult to frame this as anything other than a desperate move. And one that goes a long way in confirming he is on the hot seat entering the final three-game stretch of the Cowboys season.
Cowboys DC needs this to work
Here are a few rankings on the Cowboys defense ahead of Week 16:
- 3oth in EPA/play allowed
- 31st in red zone defense (touchdown %)
- Fourth most red zone trips allowed
- 30th in third down defense (conversion %)
On a down-to-down basis, it’s one of the worst defenses in the NFL. Situationally, it isn’t much better, either. Jones said earlier in the week every struggling quarterback that faces Eberflus’ defense ends up having a bounce back game. It’s been true so far.
And while the front office deserves a very large share of the blame, Eberflus needs to have a bounce back game himself to keep his job. He has failed to adapt to his players and to manufacture much-needed QB pressure. We’ll see if a different view on gameday helps him achieve that.
Dallas Cowboys News
NFL insider provides clarity on Trevon Diggs saga, including important admission from All-Pro cornerback
The plot thickens.
