FORT WORTH, Texas – A lot of Dallas Cowboys fans and their players sure do miss the Micah Parsons podcast.
It’s unclear what the Cowboys, their owner or their head coach expected when they traded their best defensive player from an already struggling defense, but what happened in Chicago on Sunday afternoon was the inevitable result.
And if you aren’t tired of hearing about the Parsons trade, he returns to AT&T Stadium one week from today when the Packers play the Cowboys on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football.”
The Chicago Bears started Sunday 0-2, and the Cowboys made them look like they were 200-2. Chicago steamrolled Dallas 31-14, the type of game the Cowboys had to steal to have a remote chance of sniffing the playoffs.
Rather than steal anything, the Dallas defense handed Bears quarterback Caleb Williams and his receivers plenty of room for activities. Williams threw four touchdowns with no interceptions and had all day to do whatever he wanted.
Without kicker Brandon Aubrey’s AI right leg, the Cowboys are 0-3 right now.
The issues that embarrassed the Cowboys defense in their overtime win a week ago against the New York Giants didn’t improve despite a week of film study. Firing the defensive coordinator won’t fix it.
Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus prefers to run a zone defense, which should prevent receivers from running free or getting behind coverage.
For the second week in a row, neither was much of a problem for the opposing team. Bears receivers repeatedly got behind Cowboys defensive backs or were left completely uncovered.
That’s a communication issue among the defenders, who too often look like they have no clue what they are supposed to do. Safety Donovan Wilson needs Dan Quinn, the former defensive coordinator who is now the head coach in Washington.
Some of the secondary issues are also a reflection of a pass rush that doesn’t exist. If a passer is actually pressured, those problems don’t have time to be exposed. Parsons did that.
“There’s not enough guys in the rush, and certainly no coverage. Another wide-open receiver,” Fox Sports broadcaster Tom Brady said during the telecast. “Matt Eberflus is just looking for answers over there. Not rushing well, not covering well, not knowing their way on defense.”
Some of this may be the scheme. Eberflus isn’t this bad, but he may be asking players to do what he wants rather than what they can do. That’s a common issue in coaching.
But firing Eberflus today isn’t going to change much.
Because Sam Williams isn’t it. Neither is Kenneth Murray. The same goes for Jack Sanborn. Dante Fowler is too old to be asked to do this much. You could put any of these Cowboys players in a different scheme, and the results would look the same.
The Dallas front seven doesn’t feature playmakers. The recent signing of defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, who was inactive Sunday, can’t hurt. But he isn’t going to be some version of Parsons.
At best, Clowney will replace the type of presence that former defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence brought the last few years. That is the best-case scenario.
The Cowboys defense is the product of personnel decisions that have prioritized the offense. The big contracts, top draft picks and splashy trades have all gone to offensive players.
Dak Prescott. CeeDee Lamb. The entire offensive line. George Pickens. Jake Ferguson.
Parsons isn’t worth a 17-point differential, but everything he was for this defense will not be replaced by anyone on this roster. That was the fear, and the results so far exceed the expectations.
There’s a reason so many former NFL players, including Cowboys alumni, couldn’t believe the team traded Parsons. Finding a man with his particular set of skills requires good fortune usually reserved for winning the lottery.
The Cowboys had him, and they dumped him.
They knew they were going to feel this. Now, they know the pain.
