The Cowboys' new defensive look, September 2025, 4-3 defense vs 3-4 potential look as of today

[Hawkeye0202]

There are still plenty of issues to bash Jerry on ............this isn't one. This WILL be a different defense as he promised.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

 

[75boyz]

So the question is could Eberflus possibly coach up the new defensive roster to a better performance as compared to last year's roster that he had to coach?

And nope, not an Eberflus cheerleader.
What it all boils down to is you gotta have talent to begin with BEFORE any of the coaching up can take place.

And what will be so like Jerry's Cowboys is if all this supposed new talent turns out to be not so talented after all and how long will Parker keep his fresh new positive reviews?

Food for thought. I mean he is the 5th DC in 5 years and all.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

So the question is could Eberflus possibly coach up the new defensive roster to a better performance as compared to last year's roster that he had to coach?

And nope, not an Eberflus cheerleader.
What it all boils down to is you gotta have talent to begin with BEFORE any of the coaching up can take place.

And what will be so like Jerry's Cowboys is if all this supposed new talent turns out to be not so talented after all and how long will Parker keep his fresh new positive reviews?

Food for thought. I mean he is the 5th DC in 5 years and all.

I know exactly what you are saying ..........we may have had different results if Jerry bought the same groceries for Eberflus as he is doing for CP.

 

[CT Dal Fan]

I know exactly what you are saying ..........we may have had different results if Jerry bought the same groceries for Eberflus as he is doing for CP.

I was under the impression pickups last year like Jack Sanborn, Kenneth Murray, Solomon Thomas, and Kaiir Elam were Eberflus-approved. Could be wrong though.

 

[75boyz]

I know exactly what you are saying ..........we may have had different results if Jerry bought the same groceries for Eberflus as he is doing for CP.

Exactly.

 

[Coogiguy03]

Everyone give a round of applause to Jerry letting this young coach get his guys

 

[CATCH17]

I know exactly what you are saying ..........we may have had different results if Jerry bought the same groceries for Eberflus as he is doing for CP.

Talent aside.. Eberflus’s defensive kept having mental breakdowns week after week.

It wasnt like the Cowboys were just giving up TDs from lack of talent.

There were times nobody was around the player receiving the ball.

Russell Wilson throwing for like 500 yards?

How many QBs just absolutely torched this defense that are mediocre at best players?

Eberflus was a bad coach.

 

[big dog cowboy]

Better coaching staff. Better players. All equals better defense next year.

 

[Carson]

Talent aside.. Eberflus’s defensive kept having mental breakdowns week after week.

It wasnt like the Cowboys were just giving up TDs from lack of talent.

There were times nobody was around the player receiving the ball.

Russell Wilson throwing for like 500 yards?

How many QBs just absolutely torched this defense that are mediocre at best players?

Eberflus was a bad coach.

Downs will fix this as well. They need an on field general and that’s him

 

[Kwyn]

There are still plenty of issues to bash Jerry on ............this isn't one. This WILL be a different defense as he promised.

4-3 and 3-4 are both a bit outdated at this point. I think the defense we will see for the majority of snaps is the nickel (4-2-5). This is pretty standard across the league where nickel is now the base defense up to 70% of the time.

Whether it’s a big nickel or a regular nickel, you have five DBs and have two LBs. you can sometimes run a 3-3-5 as well.

The advantage of Downs is that he can be both the Spur (SS in a big nickel in place of a LB vs 2 TE sets) or a Star (nickel CB subbing in for a LB in 3 WR set). He can just stay on the field every down except when he needs a breather. This keeps the offense guessing instead of knowing how you’re set up on defense.
I’ve seen Parker reference this as our base more than once.

 

[CATCH17]

Better coaching staff. Better players. All equals better defense next year.

We just need to get around that 15th area of defense I think with this offense to be a legit contender in this conference.

 

[Hawkeye0202]

4-3 and 3-4 are both a bit outdated at this pointI think the defense we will see for the majority of snaps is the nickel (4-2-5). This is pretty standard across the league where nickel is now the base defense up to 70% of the time.

Whether it’s a big nickel or a regular nickel, you have five DBs and have two LBs. you can sometimes run a 3-3-5 as well.

The advantage of Downs is that he can be both the Spur (SS in a big nickel in place of a LB vs 2 TE sets) or a Star (nickel CB subbing in for a LB in 3 WR set). He can just stay on the field every down except when he needs a breather. This keeps the offense guessing instead of knowing how you’re set up on defense.
I’ve seen Parker reference this as our base more than once.

True, but I was talking, it's a different defense player/personnel-wise.

 

[75boyz]

Talent aside.. Eberflus’s defensive kept having mental breakdowns week after week.

It wasnt like the Cowboys were just giving up TDs from lack of talent.

There were times nobody was around the player receiving the ball.

Russell Wilson throwing for like 500 yards?

How many QBs just absolutely torched this defense that are mediocre at best players?

Eberflus was a bad coach.

I mean I respect your opinion and all but questionable scheme and formation can only answer for so much.

It's no secret that the majority of players lost arent having their doors beat down by multiple teams to come play for them this offseason.
Just like in the same way the Cowboys bid against themselves in obtaining them in the first place.
Garbage in garbage out.

I ain't a Flus fanclub cheerleader by no means but I'll agree to disagree that given the same roster the performance level is league average minimum and Parker ain't coached a down of defensive coordinator football yet.

My opinion.

 

[CATCH17]

I mean I respect your opinion and all but questionable scheme and formation can only answer for so much.

It's no secret that the majority of players lost arent having their doors beat down by multiple teams to come play for them this offseason.
Just like in the same way the Cowboys bid against themselves in obtaining them in the first place.
Garbage in garbage out.

I ain't a Flus fanclub cheerleader by no means but I'll agree to disagree that given the same roster the performance level is league average minimum and Parker ain't coached a down of defensive coordinator football yet.

My opinion.

If players are consistently busting coverages meaning they do not know who to cover that is a clear coaching issue.

A coach should be able to teach anyone, even a non football playing person, where to be.

So for professional athletes to be consistently out of position has nothing to do with talent.

Do we lack talent on defense? Yes.

But better talent is not going to overcome coaching that has everyone confused.

 

[BlindFaith]

Hooker, Bell and Williams should be out as well. And very well could be. Liufau as well.

Compared to what we started with last year, we have a whole new defense.

I said it in another thread, we have the potential to have a top 10 defense or better now.

SuperBowl aspirations are real.

 

[75boyz]

If players are consistently busting coverages meaning they do not know who to cover that is a clear coaching issue.

A coach should be able to teach anyone, even a non football playing person, where to be.

So for professional athletes to be consistently out of position has nothing to do with talent.

Do we lack talent on defense? Yes.

But better talent is not going to overcome coaching that has everyone confused.

If you tell me you can watch that Carolina game again and come away with anything other than they got run over by better linemen than we probably watch defensive football differently. No worries.

And to also counter, how much are you measuring blame when seeing and knowing those linebackers and corners and even knowing their past history as players and then coming to the final conclusion it was all coaching? They were scrubs BEFORE Dallas as well.

Im sorry, to top it all off Eberflus had achieved some level of NFL defensive coaching success to all of a sudden throw that kinda product on the field without it being a serious lack of talent to work with.
Agree to disagree.

No worries.

 

[Havic]

So the question is could Eberflus possibly coach up the new defensive roster to a better performance as compared to last year's roster that he had to coach?

And nope, not an Eberflus cheerleader.
What it all boils down to is you gotta have talent to begin with BEFORE any of the coaching up can take place.

And what will be so like Jerry's Cowboys is if all this supposed new talent turns out to be not so talented after all and how long will Parker keep his fresh new positive reviews?

Food for thought. I mean he is the 5th DC in 5 years and all.

The problem I have with Eberflus is his passive scheme and refusal to blitz. JJ McCarthy was the worst performing QB under the blitz and yet we played a soft zone all game. Those are the type of scheme decisions that get you fired regardless of personnel. Would he have done better? Probably, but he deserved to be fired before the season ended. Parsons would not have changed this defense at all.

 

[DUO_CORE]

I said it before: Give Eberflus credit: Without last years defense, we don't draft this years players.

 

[gimmesix]

I was under the impression pickups last year like Jack Sanborn, Kenneth Murray, Solomon Thomas, and Kaiir Elam were Eberflus-approved. Could be wrong though.

I think so. Every time we change defensive coordinators, we bring in "their" players. I think they are limited by our FA philosophy, though. So when someone like Quinn wants a Bobby Wagner, he gets LVE being re-signed instead.