Five Winners and Losers Emerge as the Cowboys Publicly Turn Up the Heat on Matt Eberflus with the Season Hanging in the Balance.QQ
The Dallas Cowboys aren’t sugarcoating Matt Eberflus’ situation.
There is no such thing as “meaningless” games in the NFL. At least not for those coaching or playing for their jobs. That is the case of Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus.
Heading into the final three weeks of the 2025 regular season, Eberflus needs to show Jerry Jones and the Cowboys front office something. Jones recently said publicly he will factor in the final three weeks of the season when making a decision on Eberflus’ future, proving that the coach is indeed on the hot seat.
The Cowboys could be hinting at change for their defense…
Jerry Jones’ strong message forces Eberflus’ hand
Though we can’t tell for sure, I’d expect Jones’ comments earlier in the week to force Eberflus into making some tweaks to the lineup and scheme. In other words, the front office’s public stance should influence roster dynamics over the last three weeks.
Thus, I decided to take a look at which players stand to win and which stand to lose based on Jones’ message. And though I wouldn’t expect many changes to the Cowboys’ secondary nor defensive line, linebacker takes center stage on my list. Out of the five winners and losers below, four are linebackers. Let’s dive in.
5 winners and losers from Matt Eberflus being put on blast
Loser: LB Kenneth Murray
This is the most obvious one. There’s clearly already some level of pressure on the Cowboys’ starting middle linebacker. On Sunday Night Football, it was Logan Wilson instead of Murray taking the field in the opening drive. However, Murray wound up with a 40% snap count as Eberflus played him later in the game. At one point in the game, Murray was outplaying Wilson in snaps.
Though I’m speculating, it sure seems like Eberflus prefers Murray despite his weekly struggles. However, I wonder if there are others in the organization—front office or coaching staff—who want to see a change. There’s been movement at linebacker recently and I would expect more of it moving forward.
Winner: LB Logan Wilson
If Murray does get demoted, Wilson is the likeliest player to take his place, as he’s already been eating into his snaps. However, a word of caution: Wilson’s film isn’t exactly promising in 2025.
His game speed is nowhere near the same, perhaps because of a calf injury earlier in the year. So playing Wilson over Murray might not be an instant upgrade.
Loser: LB Shemar James
The next time the Cowboys take the field, they could be mathematically eliminated—a Philadelphia Eagles win on Saturday would do the trick. Usually, that means young players could get valuable reps for their development, something that could really benefit fifth-round rookie Shemar James.
However, with Eberflus’ job on the line, I wouldn’t expect the coach to be thinking about 2026 when he might not even be on the team by then. The Cowboys DC will play his best players for today, not the future.
Winner: CB Shavon Revel Jr.
Revel Jr. has had his ups and downs since returning from injury. His best moments have come from playing press coverage and his worst from playing soft coverage. One of the biggest knocks on Eberflus this season has been his lack willingness to play his players in situations they perform best in.
In the cornerbacks’ case, Dallas has better man corners yet the Cowboys are one of the teams to play the most zone across the NFL. Does Eberflus shift his mindset now that his job is in danger? We’ll see. If he does, I expect Revel Jr. to play better.
Winner: LB DeMarvion Overshown
On a similar note, the Cowboys could turn up the heat when it comes to blitzing. Over the last two games, Eberflus has been aggressive early one and it’s worked. But it doesn’t take long for him to get away from it. Why? Again, speculation warning, but maybe the Cowboys are pressuring him into blitzing?
If so, more blitzes lie ahead. And Overshown’s speed makes him a serious threat, as evidenced by his pass rush production in 2024. This year, he’s averaged 1.4 pass rush snaps per game, versus 5.7 last year.
