"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."
"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."
"Matt Eberflus moving upstairs doesn't feel like a solution as much as it feels like a confirmation of what the defense has already shown us all season. We know this wasn't a sudden collapse. This defense showed cracks early, and instead of fixing the cracks, they widened. This season's defensive identity has been locked in. That's why this move feels less like progress and more like an acknowledgment of mistakes."
The Cowboys defense has shown persistent, visible weaknesses throughout the season, especially on third downs, in the red zone, and on late drives. Team metrics place Dallas near the bottom of the league in passing yards allowed, total yards, points, touchdowns, third-down defense, and red-zone defense, producing predictable negative outcomes. Run defense sits around league average, so the primary damage arrives through the air with repeated coverage breakdowns. Elevating Matt Eberflus upstairs feels like an admission that the defensive identity and early cracks were never properly corrected. The coverage issues and situational failures defined the season.
Read at Inside The Star
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]