When things don’t work in the NFL, like what happened during the Dallas Cowboys’ 2024 season, a smart thing to do is to look around and see what all the successful teams are doing. In some ways it’s a philosophy that says “if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em,” but in other ways it’s a necessary analysis of league trends.

The Cowboys declined in a number of areas last season, but one area in particular saw a concerning degree, and that’s the defensive secondary. Dallas’ pass defense ranked top 10 in the NFL in both success rate and EPA/dropback in 2023. In 2024 they declined in both areas, falling outside the top 10 in both, and sparking an introspective assessment this winter.

After one season of leadership, Mike Zimmer is out at defensive coordinator (by his own volition) and Matt Eberflus is in.

Like Zimmer, Eberflus has a no-nonsense approach to the job and is a stickler for discipline. He uses a wide range of coverages, often leaning on zone looks on early downs and shifting to more man coverage on third downs. His focus on coverage makes him a versatile coordinator, capable of calling the right coverage scheme for the right situation.

The 14 playoff teams from 2024 can specifically provide insight into what the NFL’s top teams are doing these days and possibly give Eberflus a direction in which to focus his offseason blueprint.

It’s no surprise the split safety defenses like Eberflus’ are gaining steam. Philadelphia’s Vic Fangio has been leading the charge for years and has been an inspiration to coordinators interested in eliminating the big plays.

What’s interesting to see is even the top split-safety teams like the Eagles, Chargers, Packers and Vikings are playing high doses of Cover 1 and Cover 3 each week. That’s because mixing safety locations and coverages is a necessary step in gameplay. Quarterbacks who know the coverages each play have a decided advantage over the defenses. Coordinators have to mix things up to keep opposing offenses on their toes.

It’s important to note, even though split-safety defenses rule the day, arguably the best coverage defense in the NFL, Denver, is built around single-high safety coverages. They match up so well in man coverage they rely heavily on Cover 1. It’s a similar situation with the Lions, Commanders and Steelers.

The takeaways are successful teams play to their individual strengths, and they mix up coverages quite a bit. There’s an instinct to simply call Fangio a split-safety coordinator but the reality is he’s only doing it slightly more than many coordinators known for their heavy use of single high.

Looking at the Cowboys roster much will depend on player availability.

If Malik Hooker is back, Dallas should be able to continue their use of Cover 1 (man). Hooker is excellent up top and exhibits the required range to play centerfield. If Trevon Diggs returns healthy, he’s well equipped to play in those single-high safety looks as well. Diggs is skilled in both man coverage and in deep zone when in Cover 3.

DaRon Bland is a cornerback who’s suited for either situation but is probably at his best in zone. When Bland can face the QB, he can jump routes and play the ball. Everyone familiar with his record breaking 2023 season can tell you there’s no one better.

If all the parts are back and available to Eberflus in 2025, he should be able to mix and match his coverages like the best of them. League trends have shown there are many different ways and combinations of ways to get the job done. As long as the calls play to the strength of the personnel and they offer a touch of disguise, they have the ability to succeed.

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