FRISCO – The defense is in shambles, with questions about whether the players believe in a defensive scheme that’s not working on a consistent basis.
The running game enters Week 7 after a pitiful performance in which it averaged just 1.6 yards per carry. The head coach talked about his players not being physical enough, confidence levels waning and how changes are needed in all sorts of areas.
And here comes Washington to visit AT&T Stadium on Sunday afternoon to take on a Cowboys team that hasn’t won consecutive games since Weeks 15 and 16 of last year and has allowed the second-most points in the NFL at 183 after six weeks.
How does coach Brian Schottenheimer keep this season from falling apart? How does he stave off the conversations about what the team is going to do with two first-round draft picks next spring and steer it toward a possible playoff berth?
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“We certainly focus in the moment and again, the consistency or the inconsistency is real,” Schottenheimer said Monday. “I think it goes back to practice, you want to have good days of practice, we want to focus on the fundamentals. I think that’s one of the things that when you’re a little bit inconsistent, it’s not always scheme. The schemes weren’t perfect yesterday, I can assure you of that in all three phases. We need to get back to really emphasizing fundamentals and letting these guys go play and play with confidence and have the ability to win their matchups with their fundamentals.”
The defensive scheme is the biggest issue with the Cowboys right now.
Schottenheimer, along with COO Stephen Jones, admitted changes are needed. The head coach wouldn’t get into specifics about what changes are needed, other than saying the coaches watched the review of Sunday’s loss at Carolina differently than in past weeks.
The Cowboys currently employ a heavy zone scheme that lacks productive plays from its defensive playmakers. There’s a need from several players to play more man-to-man over zone.
Cornerback Trevon Diggs stressed that something is missing.
“It’s just having an identity, especially on defense,” he said. “Like you knew what it was when we went out there. We knew who we are and I just feel like we don’t know who we are. We don’t have no set thing that we do well. I don’t think that we have an identity.”
Everyone associated with the Cowboys believes in the scheme, and here was Carolina quarterback Bryce Young throwing two touchdown passes against zone coverage in the 30-27 win. There was one score where safety Donovan Wilson got caught falling down by a shoulder fake from rookie receiver Tetairoa McMillan to get wide open in the end zone for a touchdown.
“No excuses,” Wilson said. “It was a little slippery, slick out there, just got to have better technique and finish the play in my one-on-one.”
Schottenheimer admitted that players’ confidence levels are concerning to him. He dismissed the notion that the defensive players don’t believe in what’s getting called. He offered support for defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, calling him a great coach.
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Schottenheimer made a note, not only with his players but with the media, that he has to be honest. He told his team they weren’t physical enough at the line of scrimmage, leading to 216 rushing yards allowed and the Cowboys’ meager running game, in which two starters returned to an offensive line that couldn’t create enough running lanes against a read-and-react defense. The Cowboys rushed for 31 yards.
“Well, we’re not playing great, and so when you’re not playing right, they’re all welcome to their opinions,” Schottenheimer said of the players offering thoughts on scheme changes. “I mean, I listen to players all the time. Who thinks us playing nothing but man-to-man is the answer? No. Do I think us playing nothing but zone is the answer? Us fitting gaps right and us executing what they call it. But I think it goes back to, I don’t think the lack of communication is lack of confidence in the call. I think it’s the lack of getting it out.”
The season isn’t over.
But it’s entering a critical stage if Schottenheimer doesn’t get a handle on this, where draft talk and whether some younger players need to play more becomes the focus for a frustrated fan base.
The immediate future has an NFC East game against the Commanders coming Sunday. There’s a road game at Denver with the Cowboys 1-3 on the road this season. Then there’s Arizona with quarterback and Allen native Kyler Murray visiting. Murray is 7-0 at AT&T Stadium.
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Can the Cowboys get things corrected? Can the Cowboys fix the communication problems? Can this season amount to something? Anything?
“Of course, there’s a little frustration because we know the standard that we’re holding each other to,” Wilson said. “We know what we’re capable of and we’re not meeting that a little bit. It’s small things we can fix to get us there.”
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