Cowboys Rumors on Potential Coaching Staff Changes Amid Matt Eberflus Hot-Seat Buzz – Mike Chiari, Bleacher report
After a disappointing season defensively, the Cowboys could be making a move at defensive coordinator but nothing concrete as of yet.
The Dallas Cowboys are reportedly expected to make some changes to their
defensive coaching staff at the end of the 2025 season. According to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, it is “likely” some new coaches will be brought in on the defensive side of the ball, but “no decision has been made” yet on defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. Rapoport and Pelissero noted that meetings about the Cowboys’ future will begin Monday, which could be when and where the organization makes a call on Eberflus’ status.
Prior to the start of the 2025 season, the Cowboys traded superstar pass-rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers while in the midst of a contract stalemate. There were already concerns about Dallas’ defense after ranking 28th in total defense and 31st in scoring defense last season, and the issues were amplified without Parsons.
Through 17 weeks this season, the Cowboys have the No. 30 overall defense and No. 32 scoring defense, allowing 376.8 total yards and 29.8 points per game.
That is primarily why the Cowboys missed the playoffs with a 7-8-1 record despite ranking first in the NFL in total offense and fourth in scoring offense. Not surprisingly, the Cowboys lacked a consistent pass-rush this season following the departure of Parsons, as they are tied for 23rd in the NFL with 31 sacks and don’t have a single player with more than 5.5 sacks on the year.A strong argument can be made that Eberflus simply didn’t have the personnel needed to succeed this season, but since it is easier to make a coaching change than it is to completely overhaul a defensive unit, Eberflus could prove to be a one-and-done DC in Dallas.When the Cowboys hired Eberflus to coach under first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer, Eberflus was coming off a three-year run as head coach of the Chicago Bears.
Javonte Williams, Malik Davis to IR; Cowboys activate Mafah, more – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com
The Cowboys have placed their top two veteran running backs on injured reserve, leaving the door opening for Phil Mafah and Jaydon Blue to see significant playing time.
FRISCO, Texas — The end of the 2025 season has arrived for the Dallas Cowboys, and earlier than they’d like, but they’ll at least try to avoid a second consecutive losing season when they travel to take on the New York.
Giants in Week 18. Achieving that mission just got a bit tougher, though. Though they are expected to start four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Dak Prescott at MetLife Stadium, the same can’t be said for some other key players — sidelined due to injury. On Friday, the Cowboys ruled out Javonte Williams, Malik Davis, T.J. Bass, DeMarvion Overshown and rookie cornerback Shavon Revel.
One day later, they made a list of transactions that included moving several players to season-ending injured reserve, mostly academic, at this point, to clear the way for the activation of others from IR who have yet to touch the field this season. The decision to waive Trevon Diggs left one open seat on the 53-man roster but, given the laundry list of moves made on Saturday, that wasn’t enough. Three players were moved to IR and two activated, the additional seat being awarded to an undrafted, hard-hitting rookie and there was also an elevation to help with depth and special teams coverage.
The understandable decision to shut down both Williams and Davis not only opens the door for Mafah to try and build on his impressive preseason film, but also for fellow rookie running back Jaydon Blue to get another chance to show the Cowboys he is as advertised. Blue hasn’t been active in a game since late October, relegated to the inactives until head coach Brian Schottenheimer was satisfied with what he sees in practice, consistency-wise.
Top 2026 edge prospect just spoon-fed Jerry Jones the perfect sales pitch – Jared A’llatore, Landry Hat
One of the top edge rushers in the draft says he would love to play for the Cowboys.
One of college football’s best is shining on the biggest stage. Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. has recorded four sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss in the College Football Playoffs, and he’s making his pitch to Jerry Jones ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft. The Cowboys obviously need help putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks, and they can easily get that with Bain Jr., one of the most highly rated prospects in the upcoming draft. Cowboys fans will love what Bain Jr. had to say to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram following Miami’s win against Ohio State. The star edge rusher says he would love to play for the Cowboys if given the opportunity.
“It’d be amazing. Any opportunity I can get, no matter where I’m playing, it’d be a blessing. I’ve already made myself familiar with the [stadium] grounds. It’d be an amazing opportunity.”
Miami star edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. says he would love to play for the Cowboys
The only thing that could stop Jones from drafting Bain Jr. would be if another team were to beat them to the punch. The Cowboys have also been linked to Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey. Drafting him would be a win to fix their atrocious pass rush. The losses to the Lions and Vikings served as harsh reminders that if Dallas were to draft two pass rushers in the first round, it wouldn’t be too extreme at all.
The defense was barely able to touch Jared Goff and J.J. McCarthy, allowing both quarterbacks to look like prime Tom Brady. The departure of Trevon Diggs will have a lot of mock drafts predicting the Cowboys to take a cornerback with one of their two first-round picks. But a pass rusher should be the priority with their first pick, and Bain fits that bill. Bain Jr. is a big body at 6-foot-3, 275 pounds, and he possesses the power and speed off the edge that Dallas badly needs. He and Donovan Ezeiruaku could end up becoming a real problem for the NFL.
Dallas Cowboys: Reading between the lines (defense) – Mike Poland, BTB
Breaking down the Cowboys defensive plans versus the Giants.
In this episode of Between the Lines, we flip the attention to the defensive line, where chaos meets strategy. This is where the Cowboys’ games are won and lost so let’s dive in.
Interior Defensive Line
Osa Odighizuwa
(2025 Stats: 643 Total snaps, 40 Total Tackles, 6 TFL, 51 Pressures, 3 Sack)
Grade: 67.1
Solomon Thomas
(2025 Stats: 392 Total snaps, 26 Total Tackles, 3 TFL, 12 Pressures, 0 Sacks, 1 PD)
Grade: 61.8
Kenny Clark
(2025 Stats: 697 Total snaps, 35 Total Tackles, 6 TFL, 44 Pressures, 3 Sacks)
Grade: 69.5
Jay Toia
(2025 Stats: 89 Total snaps, 3 Total Tackle, 0 TFL, 1 Pressure, 0 Sacks)
Grade: 29.9
Quinnen Williams
(2025 Stats [including Jets]: 596 Total snaps, 48 Total Tackles, 11 TFL, 51 Pressures, 2.5 Sacks, 3 FF, 1 INT)
Grade: 89.7
The heart of this matchup is easy, Dallas needs the big guys in the middle to squeeze the pocket and clog running lanes, while the Giants will try to keep the ball on schedule and get it out fast. The Cowboys have been strong up front this year. As a defense, Dallas ranks eighth in pass-rush win rate (40%) and fourth in run-stop win rate (32%). Inside, Osa Odighizuwa and Kenny Clark both show up on the win rate individual leaderboards, with Odighizuwa ranking eighth in pass rush and run stop win rate among defensive tackles, with Clark not far behind him. But it’s Quinnen Williams who’s the sledgehammer here, and the Giants’ patched-up interior is exactly the kind of assignment that Williams can utilize his impact to create drive-ending plays. On the win-rate board, Williams is king in Dallas, ranking second among defensive tackles in Run Stop Win Rate at 46% with a 15% Pass Rush Win rate that ranks third, that’s top-shelf interior defense while consistently drawing extra help which helps the rest of the line. This is the core of Dallas’ plan to force long down-and-distance situations.
The Giants’ offensive line has been beat up. Left tackle Andrew Thomas and center John Michael Schmitz both hit injured reserve, so New York has turned to rookie Marcus Mbow at left tackle and veteran Austin Schlottmann at center. Before the injury, Thomas was a top-10 tackle in pass-block win rate, which shows the drop-off Dallas might be able to attack now that he’s sidelined. Communication inside between the guards and center becomes important, especially against stunts and late movement.
Even with the injuries, New York’s blocking profile isn’t a pushover. As a team, the Giants sit 11th in pass-block win rate, but 18th in run-block win rate. That suggests the ball is coming out on time and that they lean on a quick passing game to help the line. Dallas has to answer by winning early in the snap so the quick game doesn’t have time.
The quarterback picture is simple. Rookie Jaxson Dart is running the huddle. His year-one line reads 2,042 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, five picks, and he’s added useful yards with his legs in spots including adding nine rushing touchdowns. The Giants’ run game is the other pillar. They rank sixth in rushing yards per game, with Tyrone Tracy Jr. at 637 yards and Devin Singletary adding 366 yards, both having to take the wheel with Cam Skattebo out for the year. That blend is exactly how New York tries to protect a banged-up front. Dallas’ interior has to knock them off schedule on first down so second-and-long turns into a difficult and obvious passing play.
