Jerry Jones Pushes Back on Blaming Matt Eberflus for Cowboys’ Defensive Collapse
As the Dallas Cowboys wrapped up a disappointing 2025 season with a 34–17 loss to the New York Giants, the focus quickly shifted away from the final score and straight toward the future. The Cowboys finished 7-9-1 in the first year of the Brian Schottenheimer era, and once again, the defense found itself under the microscope. After allowing 380 yards of offense and surrendering 30 or more points for the ninth time this season, questions naturally surfaced about defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and whether his job could be on the line.
But before the game had even kicked off, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones made it clear that he wasn’t interested in placing all the blame on Eberflus. According to Jones, the defensive struggles seen this season didn’t appear overnight, nor were they created by one coach in a single year. Instead, they were described as the result of years of layered decisions involving coaching philosophies, personnel choices, and schematic direction.
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Jones explained that the Cowboys’ defense hasn’t been satisfactory for five or six years, regardless of who was calling the plays. Eberflus, now the third defensive coordinator in three seasons, inherited a situation that had already been shaped long before he arrived. Many of the players currently on the field, as well as the core defensive principles in place, were established when Eberflus was “not within miles of the building,” as Jones put it. Because of that, evaluating the defense strictly through the lens of one coordinator was described as inaccurate and overly simplistic.
That doesn’t mean Eberflus’ future is guaranteed. Jones stopped short of committing to anything for 2026, saying only that a thorough, wide-ranging evaluation would begin immediately. This review is expected to blend into draft preparation and offseason planning, with the goal of clearly defining what the Cowboys want to be defensively moving forward.
Jones also reflected on past success under former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, whose units ranked much higher in yards allowed during his final two seasons in Dallas. Even then, postseason performances were cited as a concern, particularly when it came to stopping the run in critical moments. That history, Jones suggested, helps explain why constant turnover has occurred and why the current situation can’t be pinned on one individual.
Looking ahead, Jones sounded confident that this offseason could be one of the most impactful in recent memory. With roster flexibility, personnel availability, and major decisions on the table, he believes meaningful change is possible. Whether that includes changes on the coaching staff or not remains to be seen, but one thing was made clear: fixing the Cowboys’ defense will require a long-term, honest look at how the franchise got here in the first place.
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