Jerry Jones must give the new defensive coordinator as many playmakers as Brian Schottenheimer has on offense.
If another humiliating Cowboys season isn’t definitive proof that Jerry Jones is the worst general manager in Dallas’ history, it’s only because of Nico Harrison. But, unlike Nico, there’s no use trying to fire Jerry. Just stop. Nico’s boss could be influenced, whereas Jerry is in a love affair with the owner and thus bulletproof.
Here’s why Jerry will never fire himself: If the new GM wins it all, he’ll get all the credit, just like Jimmy Johnson did, which is why the Cowboys have been wandering the wilderness ever since.
They don’t need a Moses of their own as much as an exorcist. Except even Father Damien couldn’t drive Jerry out, so quit asking me to do it.
Let’s stick to matters of this world, shall we?
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On the heels of one of the most exasperating seasons in the organization’s once-proud history, Jerry at least did the right thing in firing Matt Eberflus, who had a bad year on multiple fronts. First, his successor in Chicago could end up winning more games in his first season than Eberflus did in three.
Second, and more to the point, he presided over maybe the worst defense in Cowboys history.
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Of course, it wasn’t all Eberflus’ fault, even if his zone-heavy defense went over with his players like big band music at your kid’s prom. Much of the damage was done when Jerry got in a snit with Micah Parsons, thus violating one of his marriage vows:
Never get mad at your money.
Parsons not only is a generational talent who packed the Cowboys’ pass rush with him when he left for Green Bay. He’s one of the few draft picks they’ve gotten right on defense this century. Trevon Diggs was another until he flamed out this season. DaRon Bland remains, which is probably more than you can say for Donovan Wilson.
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Now, you can blame the Cowboys’ defensive problems the last few years on the coordinators if you want. Certainly a lot of them to blame. The next one will be the fourth in four years, surely a record of some sort.
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Dan Quinn was the best of the bunch, as it turns out, and I think we all owe him an apology. We blamed him for the Cowboys’ inability to stop the run when Mike Zimmer couldn’t, either. On top of that, Zim was out of gas. Eberflus might have been running on fumes, too, considering his PTSD from Chicago.
Funny how the Cowboys finally got some traction against the run when they went out and found themselves some quality defensive tackles. Maybe one too many, at that. Probably not a good thing when all of your best players on defense play the same position.
You could practically throw a dart at the Cowboys’ defensive depth chart while blindfolded and not miss a need. Edge rusher, linebacker, cornerback, safety. You name it, they need it. If you offered me Oregon’s defense straight up in a trade, I might take it.
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A reasonable person might ask why the Cowboys have so little talent on defense and a veritable cornucopia on offense, and I’ll tell you why: Jerry loves offense, because it sells.
Before next season, he’ll invest even more in his offense when he franchises George Pickens or, God forbid, gives him a multi-year deal. Might even re-sign Javonte Williams, too. And I wouldn’t blame him. Williams is the Cowboys’ best running back since Zeke Elliott in his prime.
But one of these days Jerry will have to invest in his defense simply because no matter whom he hires, the Cowboys have proven you can’t do it with smoke and mirrors anymore.
BTW, on the new DC: Can Jerry just hire the best guy available — which would be Brian Flores, if available — and not worry if he’s been a head coach or in the building? Let’s not limit the search. Hard enough as it is, apparently.
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The good news is, even the Joneses seem to understand their predicament. Probably because they just watched Dak post one of his best seasons and all it got them was seven wins.
“We got to get an identity on the defensive side of the football,” Stephen Jones said on 105.3 The Fan (KRLD-FM) this week.
“I don’t think we ever established what we were as a defense.”
Bad, that’s what you were, Stephen.
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Horrendous. Abysmal.
Cataclysmic.
The Cowboys don’t have a proper identity on defense because they haven’t drafted nearly as well on that side of the ball as they have on offense. My guess is they’ve let too many of the defensive coordinators dictate to Will McClay what kind of players they want. That can’t happen. Coaches come and go, but, if you want an identity, you’ve got to draft it, then stick with it.
As previously noted, they get it just fine on offense. Since the 2011 draft, they’ve picked 11 players who went on to make at least one Pro Bowl. Twelve, if you count Connor McGovern, who made it for the Bills. Otherwise, that’s Dak, Tyler Smith, Jake Ferguson, CeeDee Lamb, Tyron Smith, Zack Martin, Travis Frederick, Zeke Elliott, Tyler Biadasz, Tony Pollard and DeMarco Murray.
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On defense, they’ve taken seven Pro Bowlers over the same period: Parsons, Diggs, Bland, DeMarcus Lawrence, Jaylon Smith, Leighton Vander Esch and Byron Jones.
Final score in Pro Bowl appearances: Offense 42, defense 16.
Focus on the latter for a while and find yourself some dawgs for your defense, Stephen. You might be surprised how much identity that gets you.
Twitter/X: @KSherringtonDMN
AdvertisementRelated StoriesRead MoreKliff Kingsbury, Joe Whitt Jr. reportedly gone from Commanders’ staff after 5-12 seasonKingsbury, the offensive coordinator, and Whitt, who had been in charge of the defense, both arrived in Washington with Dan Quinn before the 2024 season.What we know about Matt Eberflus firing: How Cowboys got here, potential targets and moreThe team announced Tuesday it fired Matt Eberflus after a tumultuous one-year run at the head of the defense.
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