Blogging The Boys
Why are the Cowboys playing so much zone coverage on the backend if it’s not working?
Tommy: It’s Matt Eberflus’ calling card. That doesn’t mean the entirety of the blame is on his shoulders, though. I thought the Cowboys handled the Eagles just fine in zone coverage during Week 1. I don’t think a lot of the secondary players were on the same page in Week 2, which led to some of the deep shots and chunk gains from the Giants offense. But back to the question, yes, I think the reason is because it’s what Eberflus has done over the course of his career and had success doing. In the last six years that Eberflus has been a defensive play caller, he’s used zone coverage at at least a 10% higher rate than the league average of 67.9% in four of those seasons. The bigger questions may be whether or not Eberflus has the pieces on the roster to be able to run that much zone, which is a totally separate conversation.
What are the key matchups for Sunday’s game?
Trevon Diggs vs Rome Odunze
The spotlight in the secondary will shine brightest on CB Trevon Diggs, who likely draws the challenge of covering Bears young WR Rome Odunze.
With CB DaRon Bland hobbled and DJ Moore demanding defensive attention on the other side, Eberflus would ideally like to roll coverage toward Moore to support a younger cornerback, but that luxury only comes if Diggs can handle Odunze one-on-one.
This will be no easy task. Diggs struggled in Week 2 against Giants superstar WR Malik Nabers, whose speed and athleticism exposed some coverage lapses.
Odunze may not have the same highlight-reel quickness as Nabers, but he’s a polished, physical receiver with size and ball-tracking ability that can give any corner fits.
3 keys for Bears offense vs. Cowboys in Week 3 – Mike Pendelton, BearsWire
The Cowboys will have a tough time stopping the Bears offense on Sunday.
Unleash Caleb Williams
Last week, the Cowboys were involved in an overtime thrilled against the New York Giants, where they pulled off a 40-37 overtime victory, but quarterback Russell Wilson shined for most of the game against the Dallas defense. Although Wilson threw a decisive interception in overtime, he totaled 450 passing yards and three touchdowns on the day, meaning there is plenty of opportunity for Caleb Williams against the Dallas defense. Johnson said this week that he has seen significant growth in Williams play through the first two weeks of the season, and if that growth continues, it’s time to take the handcuffs off the young quarterback. If Wilson could look like his old self against the Cowboys defense, the opportunities are endless...
