Brian Schottenheimer just said the one thing Cowboys fans were never supposed to hear about this defense.QQ
Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer promised changes to the 3-4-1 team he leads earlier in the week. Though he’s the offense’s architect and playcaller, he admits he has spent additional time in defensive meetings. He even credits defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus for not taking it the wrong way, saying he’s been in that position before.
Schottenheimer, however, is inadvertently telling fans to not expect big improvements as a result of those changes. Why? The biggest issue in Dallas is execution.
“There will be changes, some bigger than others,” Schottenheimer told reporters Wednesday. “But the change is not necessarily what makes this thing go. What makes it go is the execution. And that’s what I want everybody to understand.”
Is Schottenheimer’s message the right one for the locker room? Sure. Is it accurate in terms of the scheme not being an issue? No. But mostly, it’s also indicative of the big problem the Cowboys face when putting it on the word “execution.”
The problem the Cowboys face when blaming ‘execution’
Execution problems is an effect. Personnel problems is the cause. The Cowboys neglected several defensive needs during the offseason and the ones they addressed, they did with low-risk gambles. They traded for first-round busts in Kaiir Elam and Kenneth Murray, two of the starters struggling the most this year. They let the Micah Parsons’ negotiations spiral out of control and dealt him away. They witnessed Mazi Smith’s struggles over the first two years of his career and didn’t add a true nose tackle other than seventh-round rookie Jay Toia. The list goes on and on.
The simple reality is the Cowboys defense isn’t getting a significant enough injection of talent to right those wrongs spanning from January to August. So while, sure, the coaching staff can shake things up, Dallas is facing a talent issue, as well.
Now, don’t confuse that with another reality: Eberflus needs to do more with what he’s got. Against the Washington Commanders in Week 7, he blitzed, played man coverage, and disguised coverages. He was aggressive. He manufactured pressure and mistakes from the opposing offense. He needs to keep at it because playing vanilla zones will not be enough with the talent in place.
Additionally, he has to shake up the starting lineup because right now, there are players on the field who look like they shouldn’t be. Murray’s job needs to be challenged. The same goes for Elam and DE Sam Williams, among others.
The Cowboys are in a tough spot going into Week 9’s matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. And even if the staff makes the right changes, expect Schottenheimer’s words to carry weight. What matters is execution. But execution has to come from the personnel in place. Dallas’ isn’t good enough.
