The Dallas Cowboys played their best game of the season in Week 5, taking care of business on the road against the Jets in the first half. Doing so while being extremely short-handed in multiple areas, most notably the offensive line, was nothing short of impressive work by head coach Brian Schottenheimer and his staff.

Perhaps one downside of Sunday’s win may be that it could lead to letting defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus off the hook. After the game, Jerry Jones called it a “coaching staff win”, according to Cowboys insider Nick Harris, and added, “The main thing I want to say is the credibility of our coaches just went up today in the eyes of the players. And everybody, in my mind, should have the same feeling. … A great coaching job today,” per The Athletic’s Jon Machota.

Cowboys Can’t Let Matt Eberflus Off the Hook After Week 5 Win

On one hand, getting a road win in the NFL is never easy, especially when you are severely short-handed. On the other hand, the Jets are now 0-5 and look like the worst team in the league by a wide margin. Getting the most out of backups is obviously significant, but a win against the Jets should not result in “increased credibility” of the coaches. Especially when Eberflus hasn’t done anything to alleviate the concerns about the defensive unit.

It’s not like the Cowboys had a dominant defense to come away with the win. They allowed more first downs, 378 total yards, 6.5 yards per carry in the run game, without forcing an interception. The defense continues to rank near the bottom in forcing turnovers, while allowing the most yards to opposing offenses in the league. They are particularly poor in pass defense, ranking as the worst team in total passing yards allowed and net yards gained per pass attempt.

The underwhelming individual performances in the defensive backfield continue to be an issue. DaRon Bland, Donovan Wilson, and Trevon Diggs combined to allow 11/13 completion in coverage, while missing four tackles in total. The three veterans continue to be disappointing through five weeks, and considering the level of their play before Eberflus came around, it’s hard not to point fingers at the former Bears head coach.

The Cowboys are certainly getting help from unexpected contributors like James Houston, who has been a revelation. While celebrating these breakouts, it’s important not to lose sight of players and units who have been nowhere near where they should be. A win against the winless Jets shouldn’t make Cowboys fans forget about where this defense under Matt Eberflus is.