Cowboys’ Defensive Fate Hangs in the Balance: Matt Eberflus Hire Raises One Giant Question That Will Define His Legacy

The Dallas Cowboys announced the hiring of defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus on Tuesday, confirming reports which emerged on him being the chosen one since Friday, the same day when Brian Schottenheimer was announced as head coach.

Eberflus, who was recently fired as head coach of the Chicago Bears, reunites with Dallas after departing in 2018 for a defensive coordinator opportunity with the Indianapolis Colts. Since he was on the Cowboys staff (2011-2017) as linebackers coach, he was considered a rising coach.

Now, he’s back on the defensive side of the ball, where he’ll be tasked with filling the shoes of Dan Quinn and Mike Zimmer, the last two Cowboys defensive coordinators that fielded successful units over the last few years.

Eberflus has the resumé to suggest he’s the right man for the job. In four years as defensive coordinator for the Colts, his defenses finished in the Top 10 of points allowed. In Chicago, his defense ranked 32nd in his first year as head coach. The Bears improved to 13th in 2024, and might’ve been better on that front had they not fired Eberflus in late November.

Eberflus’ defenses major in discipline and toughness, as well as intensity. His “H.I.T.S” philosophy stands for “hustle, intensity, the ball, and smart.”

The massive question about Eberflus’ defense in Dallas

Though his units have been sound in the past, I believe the biggest question that will make or break his success in Dallas is if he’s willing to evolve his blitzing habits?

The shift to Eberflus represents a drastic change from both Quinn’s and Zimmer’s defenses. While the latter two are aggressive by blitzing, disguising coverages, and using simulated pressures to confuse opposing quarterbacks, Eberflus’ are much more static and straightforward. His units more closely resemble the defenses from Rod Marinelli more than they do Quinn or Zimmer.

Consider blitzing: Eberflus units in Indy and Chicago only finished inside the Top 20 in blitz rate one year (2024) and that was 19th. The previous two years, he ranked 21st and 25th, respectively. As defensive coordinator of the Colts, he ranked 29th, 27th, 31st, and 29th in blitz rate, according to Pro Football Reference. 

I believe Eberflus must be more aggressive in this department to make the most out of his unit. Consider why coaches blitz in the first place: They either want to manufacture pressure they can’t get by rushing four, take a quarterback by surprise, or create mismatches with their best players.

A common denominator from Zimmer’s and Quinn’s success in Dallas is that they created so many one-on-one matches for Micah Parsons, avoiding double teams for the Cowboys’ top defensive player. They did so through blitzing to manipulate opponents’ protection schemes. That’s why Parsons was consistently matching up against the opponent’s weak link, sometimes the guard or the center.

Eberflus can’t afford to not weaponize Parsons in the same way, specially if DeMarcus Lawrence and/or Osa Odighizuwa leave in free agency, making it harder to rush with four.

Parsons is only a part of the equation but he’s the biggest one I think about upon hearing the news of Eberflus’ hiring. We’ll see how much he adapts to the talent at hand.