ClutchPoints
In a move that everyone saw coming from miles away, the Dallas Cowboys have fired defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus after one terrible year. Now looking for their third different defensive coordinator in as many years, Dallas needs to focus its effort on the Minnesota Vikings’ Brian Flores.
Defense was once the Cowboys’ forte, but that could not be further from the truth in 2025. Dallas was arguably the worst defense in the league, ranking dead last in points allowed, 30th in opponent total yards and 29th in turnover ratio.
The Cowboys ranked poorly in all three categories in 2024, which led to Mike Zimmer calling it a career after one year on the job. New head coach Brian Schottenheimer responded by hiring Eberflus, who had just been fired as head coach of the Chicago Bears, and was also with the team as a linebackers coach from 2011 to 2017.
Perhaps some saw it coming, but the move could not have led to worse results.
Eberflus’ name got dragged through the mud during his disastrous stint with the Bears, but Dallas hoped he would return to glory in his traditional role. Instead, the defense was a mess all year and was the worst in franchise history since 2010, the first year of Jason Garrett’s tenure.
However, as bad as Eberflus was, the team’s personnel issues cannot be overlooked. Losing Micah Parsons just before the season began could not have helped matters, while the Cowboys’ internal locker room drama led to two-time Pro Bowler Trevon Diggs’ shocking release late in the year.
Regardless, Dallas has serious defensive issues that many are not used to seeing. This is a situation that desperately needs immediate change if the Cowboys are ever going to reach the potential that fans expect from them. The clock is ticking with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb only under contract for two more seasons.
Although Flores is a popular name in the head coaching carousel, he is the type of defensive coordinator the Cowboys need. Schottenheimer and Jerry Jones need to do whatever is possible to convince him to fix their sloppy mess in 2026.
After his third consecutive season running an elite defense in Minnesota, Flores enters another offseason as one of the top head coaching candidates. He has been in this same position every year since the Miami Dolphins abruptly let him go in 2021 despite two consecutive winning seasons.
Flores has not made it clearer that he wants another shot at a head coaching job, and he could not be more qualified. However, if he is passed up yet again, the Cowboys need to figure out how to hire him away from Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings at all costs.
Since he landed in Minnesota, nobody has done more with less on their roster. The Vikings have been a top-16 scoring defense in all three...
