Defense comes back to life as Cowboys throttle Commanders 44-22

"Brian Schottenheimer deserves credit for his patience. Matt Eberflus deserves credit for making changes. The past seven days were tough in Dallas. Many in the fan base and the media (myself included) called for heads, namely that of Eberflus, to roll after yet another defensive meltdown cost the Cowboys their third loss of the year. Yet Schottenheimer insisted he wasn't considering a change at defensive coordinator. He dug in and insisted Eberflus was a good coach who just needed time."

"None needed. The Cowboys won the toss and, for the first time in the Schottenheimer era, elected to receive the ball. Perhaps the goal was to score first and give the defense a lead to play with. If so, the plan worked to perfection. Dak Prescott hit CeeDee Lamb for a 13-yard gain to move the chains on third down, and a deep shot to George Pickens resulted in a pass interference flag in the endzone. That set up a touchdown for Javonte Williams."

"So what happens when the defense has an early lead to play with? Well, this new thing called a three-and-out, which the Cowboys had been previously unfamiliar with but quickly got acquainted with on Sunday. They forced a punt in just three plays, though Washington managed to down the ball right at the goal line. That led to an ill-advised run play that saw Williams tackled in his own endzone for a safety."

Brian Schottenheimer stood by Matt Eberflus despite calls for Eberflus's firing after a costly defensive meltdown. Schottenheimer insisted Eberflus deserved time and that changes were underway. The Commanders arrived banged up, with their top two receivers ruled out, creating a favorable matchup. Dallas elected to receive and converted on a drive that included a 13-yard third-down gain and a pass-interference flag, setting up a touchdown. The Cowboys defense then forced a three-and-out, pressured Washington into an ill-advised run that resulted in a safety, and continued to limit third-down conversions to maintain control of the game.

Read at Blogging The Boys