Emmitt Smith’s Shocking Warning Sends Matt Eberflus’ Cowboys Future Into Chaos
When a Hall of Famer speaks up, you sit up and take notice.
Emmitt Smith sounded a serious warning for the Dallas Cowboys, and by extension, he made the future of head coach Matt Eberflus even murkier.
Smith didn’t mince words as he addressed the state of Dallas’ defense — particularly the coordinator role. Smith told Brian Schottenheimer it may be time to reassess the current defensive leadership. Smith singled out the lack of optimization of the talent on that side of the ball and made a name for Mike Zimmer — who is currently available — as a “potential valuable asset.” He added he believes there are other coordinators more worthy of the job than the one currently in place.
Smith’s timing is hard to argue with. Under Eberflus, the defense waited until Week 9 to fully activate edge rushers Donovan Ezeiruaku and Jadeveon Clowney — despite clear evidence months earlier that they should have been playing key snaps. Meanwhile, the secondary’s zone coverage is yielding massive cushions and wide open lanes for quarterbacks to pick apart.
As of Week 11, Dallas ranked 31st in defensive EPA and 50.1 % in defensive success rate. Their numbers in dropback EPA, dropback success rate, rushing EPA and rushing success rate all sit near the bottom of the league. Whether passing or running, the Cowboys still don’t have consistent answers.
If there was ever a chance for Eberflus to prove his worth, these final eight games feel like the audition. With major additions such as Quinnen Williams and Logan Wilson — and the return of pieces like DeMarvion Overshown and Shavon Revel — the defense finally has the chance to turn the corner. But if business-as-usual continues, it’ll be next to impossible to argue he deserves to stay in the chair.
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