The Dallas Cowboys have hit a rough patch defensively, and team owner Jerry Jones isn’t mincing words about it. After a 34-26 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, Jones made it clear he's frustrated-not just with the outcome, but with the direction of the defense under first-year coordinator Matt Eberflus.
The Cowboys were outplayed by Vikings rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who came into the game with more questions than answers.
But against Dallas, McCarthy looked like a seasoned vet. He threw for a career-best 250 yards, added two touchdowns through the air, and capped off a 1-yard touchdown run with a Griddy dance that probably stung just as much as the scoreboard.
His 108 passer rating told the story: the Cowboys couldn’t slow him down.
“We let their quarterback have a big day on us,” Jones said during his weekly radio appearance. “That wasn’t the plan.” He pointed to a lack of pressure at key moments, and while he gave McCarthy credit for playing well, there was a clear undertone of disappointment that Dallas once again made an inexperienced quarterback look like a Pro Bowler.
And that’s not a one-off. According to Jones, it’s becoming a pattern.
“It seems like we’re always saying that about these quarterbacks,” he said. “Some of them hadn’t played as well, but when they play us, they play better.”
That’s a problem. A big one.
Dallas has now allowed 30 points per game-second-worst in the NFL-and they’re giving up a league-high 254.8 passing yards per contest. To put that in perspective, they’re on pace to become just the eighth team in NFL history to allow 500 points in a season. That’s not just a bad stretch; that’s historic-level defensive collapse.
Jones didn’t hold back when assessing the state of the defense. While he expressed confidence in the offensive unit, he admitted he “didn’t expect” the defensive struggles to be this severe. And it’s not for lack of trying to fix it.
The Cowboys have shuffled the deck defensively over the past year. They traded away Micah Parsons-arguably their most dynamic defender-to Green Bay in exchange for two first-round picks and veteran defensive tackle Kenny Clark. They also brought in Quinnen Williams and linebacker Logan Wilson before the trade deadline, hoping to bolster the front seven.
But despite those moves, the unit has regressed. Over the past two games, Dallas has given up a combined 78 points in losses to the Lions and Vikings. That’s not just a bad week-that’s a defense in free fall.
This is the third defensive coordinator in as many seasons for the Cowboys, and Jones made it clear he’d prefer some continuity. But continuity only works if the results follow.
Still, Jones isn’t pointing fingers at the locker room. He believes the talent is there.
“I’m satisfied that the players we have fit what we’re trying to do really well,” he said. “I think if we could have gotten this defense in better shape earlier, we could be sitting here with the kind of wins that would’ve not had us in this tight spot.”
At 6-7-1, the Cowboys are on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoff picture-and time is running out. They’ll host the 10-4 Los Angeles Chargers this Sunday in a game that could define the rest of their season.
If Dallas wants to keep their postseason hopes alive, the defense will need to flip the script-and fast. Because right now, the story is all too familiar: another quarterback finding his rhythm against a defense that can’t seem to find its own.