Jerry Jones blasts Cowboys DC Matt Eberflus' scheme, calls for defensive changes

If there was one word to sum up the Dallas Cowboys defense this season, it would be “absent.” The preseason departure of All-Pro linebacker Micah Parsons certainly didn’t help, but Dallas is allowing 376.8 yards per game (third worst in NFL) and 29.8 points per game (second worst in NFL).

Now, with just one game remaining in their season, Dallas sits at 7-8-1 and completely out of the postseason picture. This marks the second consecutive season that the Cowboys have missed the NFL Playoffs and the 29th consecutive season that they’ve failed to reach the NFC Championship Game.

During a Friday morning hit on 105.3 The Fan, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones revealed that he was not pleased with the Dallas defense this season, led by defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on @1053thefan when asked if he’s pleased scheme-wise and with the coaching staff on the defensive side of the ball: “No. No. Not at all. We have a lot of work to do over there. But we can do it.”

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) December 26, 2025

“Not. No. Not at all,” Jones responded when asked if he was pleased about the defense, per The Athletic’s Jon Machota. “We have a lot of work to do over there. But we can do it.”

Matt Eberflus is wrapping up first season as Dallas’ defensive coordinator

Eberflus is currently in the midst of his first season as Dallas’ defensive coordinator. He previously spent the past three seasons as the head coach of the Chicago Bears (2022-2024). Over the span, he led the Bears to a 14-32 record before he was fired 12 games into the 2024 season. His replacement, former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, currently has the Bears as the No. 2 seed in the NFC with an 11-4 record.

Speaking of the Lions, Jones went further on his hit, claiming that Dallas’ 44-30 loss to Detroit on Dec. 4 came as a surprise to him.

Jerry Jones on @1053thefan when asked how close he thinks the Cowboys are: “To be very candid with you, the loss against Detroit was a surprise to me. I thought we had turned the corner defensively. … I thought it was onward and upward at that point.”

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) December 26, 2025

“To be very candid with you, the loss against Detroit was a surprise to me,” Jones said via Machota. “I thought we had turned the corner defensively. I think it was on onward and upward at that point.”

It certainly did seem that Dallas was turning the corner at that point in the season, as it won three consecutive games from Nov. 17-Nov. 27. Two of these three wins came against last season’s Super Bowl teams (Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs), and the Cowboys defense allowed just 21.6 points per game over the three-game span.

Dallas improved to 6-5-1 and seemed poised to make a run at the Playoffs, but the 44-30 drumming at the hands of the Detroit Lions all but slammed the door shut on that possibility. Following the loss to Detroit, Dallas lost its next two games (Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Chargers) before handling the Washington Commanders 30-23 on Christmas Day.

It remains unclear whether or not Eberflus will return next season, but it certainly does appear that Jerry Jones is fed up with the disappointing play on defense.