For the fourth time in as many years, the Dallas Cowboys will have a new defensive coordinator. Matt Eberflus was fired Tuesday after one season calling Dallas’ defense, according to a team source.
The Cowboys (7-9-1) had one of the NFL’s worst defenses for most of the season, finishing with the league’s worst scoring defense (30.1 points per game allowed) and a bottom-three total defense (377 yards per game).
Eberflus, who was hired in January after spending the previous three seasons as Chicago Bears head coach, wasn’t the only reason for the group’s poor performance. The personnel wasn’t great to start the season as the Cowboys traded All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons a week before their season opener.
Trade deadline moves to add All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and veteran linebacker Logan Wilson coupled with the return of injured linebacker DeMarvion Overshown and rookie cornerback Shavon Revel looked to be the additions to turn things around. Dallas won three consecutive games after adding their defensive upgrades. But in the final five games of the season, the group reverted to what was on display during the first nine games.
First-year head coach and offensive play-caller Brian Schottenheimer spent extra time in the defensive meeting rooms to try to help with adjustments. Late in the season, Schottenheimer decided it was best for Eberflus to work from the coaching box instead of the sideline. The results never improved.
It became clear from Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones’ comments during the final month of the season that Eberflus was unlikely to return for another season. He did say before the Cowboys lost to the Giants on Sunday that Eberflus shouldn’t carry all the blame.
“Don’t blame this all on Flus,” Jones said. “This took five or six years to get here. … I can make a case for you that we haven’t had a satisfactory defense for five or six years, really.”
Some of the defense’s worst moments included allowing New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson to throw for 450 yards and three touchdowns in Week 2. He lost the starting job two weeks later. Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams had his best game of the season in Week 3 against Dallas, throwing for 298 yards and four touchdowns. The Denver Broncos scored a season-high 44 against the Cowboys in Week 8. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett had his best game of the last two seasons, throwing for 261 yards, two touchdown passes and a rushing TD in the Arizona Cardinals’ Week 9 win over Dallas.
The Detroit Lions scored 44 against the Cowboys in Week 14. It was part of Detroit’s only second win in a seven-week stretch. Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy had arguably his best game of the season against Dallas in Week 15, throwing for two touchdowns and running for another. The Los Angeles Chargers then scored four touchdowns and two field goals in their first seven possessions in Week 16.
Schottenheimer is the second consecutive Cowboys head coach to hire a new defensive coordinator after their first season. The Cowboys moved on after only one year of Mike Nolan as defensive coordinator in Mike McCarthy’s first season as head coach in 2020.
Dan Quinn was then hired and remained Dallas’ DC for three consecutive, successful seasons before becoming Washington Commanders head coach. Mike Zimmer then was hired to replace Quinn in 2024. The Cowboys and McCarthy parted ways after that season, opening the door to hire Schottenheimer as the franchise’s 10th head coach.