There are plenty of reasons to be excited about a potential addition of Matt Eberflus.
It wasn’t that long ago when the Dallas Cowboys were lacking coaches. Now, just a few days later, they have named Brian Schottenheimer as their new head coach and Matt Eberflus is gaining a lot of buzz as their potential new defensive coordinator. On Saturday, our own David Howman discussed why the Schottenheimer decision makes sense for the Cowboys. Today, we’ll look at what they would be getting in reuniting with an old friend.
Getting the timing right
Fans might remember Eberflus from his first stint with the Cowboys starting back in 2011 when he came over from Cleveland with then-defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. While Ryan’s time in Dallas was short-lived, Eberflus was able to hang around. When the team moved on from Ryan and replaced him with Monte Kiffin and then Rod Marinelli, Eberflus became the team’s linebacker coach.
Eberflus spent seven years in Dallas and by 2018, his ability as a coach was being recognized. The Cowboys wanted to promote him to defensive coordinator, but they still had Marinelli so they tried to get sly and just re-title Marinelli as the assistant head coach, opening up the DC position for Eberflus. Not wanting to create tension, Eberflus left Dallas and joined the Indianapolis Colts as their new defensive coordinator.
Eberflus’ success continued in Indy and he was hired by the Chicago Bears to be their new head coach in 2022. The gig in Chicago didn’t work out after three losing seasons (almost three, he was fired after Week 13), so now he’s going back to what he does best, and this time around, the Cowboys do have an opening at defensive coordinator. Combined with the offensive-minded Schottenheimer, Eberflus feels like the perfect fit.
The linebacker whisperer
The former linebackers coach has a strong track record for getting the most out of his linebackers wherever he goes. Starting in Dallas, he was gifted the talented Sean Lee who played at an All-Pro level whenever he was healthy. But Eberflus did a lot with other guys too. Bruce Carter put together strong performances in Dallas, including a five-interception season in 2014. Anthony Hitchens also played beyond expectations with four solid years. Both he and Carter left for a nice payday after their rookie contracts expired with the Cowboys.
Eberflus also helped rejuvenate Rolando McClain’s career during his short return to the league. He did the same thing in Indianapolis. Shaq Leonard had four All-Pro seasons with the Colts and then quickly faded. It just so happens that those four years were the same four years Eberflus was with the team.
Joining the Cowboys staff should help get the most out of the linebackers, just as former defensive line coach Dan Quinn helped their pass rush and former defensive backs coach Mike Zimmer worked miracles with their injury-riddled secondary. Eberflus will inherit the rising talent of Marist Liufau and hopefully the eventual return of DeMarvion Overshown.
Take it away
When Quinn was here, the Cowboys’ defense was one of the best units in the league at taking the ball away. They finished No. 1 in the league in 2021 and 2022 with a combined total of 67 forced turnovers. It was a huge reason the Cowboys had one of the stronger defenses in the league.
The Cowboys have slipped a little these past two years as they’ve ranked 12th in takeaways in each of the last two years, but the Eberflus influence should help sharpen some of that thievery. As a defensive coordinator, his Colts’ units finished in the top 10 in takeaways all four seasons with the team. They finished inside the top 10 in interceptions all four years and inside the top 10 in fumble recoveries in three of his four seasons with the team. When it comes to taking the ball away, his squads are pretty good at it.
Stingy with the points
Forcing turnovers is great, but keeping opposing offensives out of the end zone is what really matters. During his time with the Colts, his defenses finished in the top 10 in points allowed three times. This was a breath of fresh air for a Colts defense that had finished outside the top 20 in points allowed in each of the previous three seasons, including the third-worst the season right before Eberflus showed up.
Eberflus has done a good job shutting teams down. The Cowboys know this firsthand. Only once has Dallas been shut out in a game over the last 20 years and it just so happens to be the time they faced Eberflus’ Colts where they lost 23-0 back in 2019.
