Mailbag: Differences in defensive scheme? - Nick Eatman & Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com
Matt Eberflus will do things a little differently than Dan Quinn.
At this point, what differences are you seeing (or hearing) between the Dan Quin defensive scheme and the Matt Eberflus scheme? – David Fedak/Leonardo, NJ
Tommy: I think the biggest difference between the two is that Dan Quinn’s style creates more pressure on the quarterback, while Eberflus’ defense is more based on stopping the run and forcing turnovers. Not to say that each of them can’t do the other, but there’s more of an emphasis on those aspects at their core which creates a big difference.
Under Quinn, the Cowboys struggled at times to stop the run. Can that change under Matt Eberflus? It’s certainly one of the reasons why they hired him to return to Dallas and call the defense, but my bigger question would be if they currently have the personnel to be able to stop the run. Especially at defensive tackle, I don’t know if they do yet, meaning they’ll have to rely a lot on their EDGE rushers and linebackers to stop the run.
Cowboys' late stretch of tough opponents could tell story of 2025 season - Tyler Reed, Sports Illustrated
The Cowboys will end the 2025 season with a gauntlet of good teams.
In November, the Cowboys will finish the month by playing both teams that competed in this past year’s Super Bowl, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Obviously, a matchup with the Eagles is vital, as the Cowboys are looking to knock off the reigning Super Bowl champions from atop the NFC East. However, that game will be physical, which means the following week, when they meet the Chiefs, they may not be at 100%.
The schedule makers did the Cowboys no favors; however, does that make the November matchup with the Eagles the most important game on the schedule?
Cowboys youth movement on offense may cause bumps, but was much needed change in direction - Ben Grimaldi, Cowboys Wire
Dallas will rely on a lot of younger players offensively in 2025.
It’s a young offense, but it’s guided by one of the best leaders in the league in Prescott. The elder statesman for the offense is 32-years old and entering his 10th season, he’s the ideal QB to lead the group.
Despite their youth, the core doesn’t lack experience. All-Pro WR CeeDee Lamb just turned 26, has four straight 1,000-yard seasons and is in his prime, as is his new running mate Pickens and starting tight end Jake Ferguson.
Complementary pieces at WR include Jalen Tolbert, who is 26, and KaVontae Turpin, who will be 29-years old when the season begins, which feels ancient. However, Turpin is coming off a career year and has gotten better each season.
At RB Javonte Williams turned 25 in April and has four years under his belt. The veteran runner can help guide rookie fifth-round pick, Blue, who will be 21-years old this season. Blue’s speed and explosiveness should add an element to the offense that has been missing since Tony Pollard was making big plays while splitting carries with Elliott. Blue has even more juice and comes in with fresh legs after sharing a backfield at Texas.
As young and in their prime as most of the weapons are on Dallas’ offense, it’s the offensive line that has the most youth.
Three members of the OL are just 24-years old, and the rookie Booker comes in at 21. Terence Steele is the oldest starter after turning 28 in early June, giving the Cowboys an average age of just over 24, the youngest OL group in the NFL. Even their key backups are all under 26-years old, Brock Hoffman and Robert Jones will share that honor when the 2025 campaign begins.
As Micah Parsons contract negotiations continue, Cowboys should remember the key ingredients in 'instant grits' defense - Jori Epstein, Yahoo Sports
This is certainly something the organization needs to think about.
When the Dallas Cowboys secondary took the field in recent years, they waited for the signal.
How quickly should they expect their opponent to get the ball out?
Al Harris, Dallas’ defensive backs coach from 2021-24, would give them a clue.
“I used to say, ‘Instant grits,’” Harris told Yahoo Sports recently from Chicago, where he’s now the Bears’ defensive backs coach and defensive pass game coordinator. “When you boil water, you just put the grits in there. So it’s funny because [the defensive backs] would be like, ‘Hey, how the grits?’”
In other words: How effective was the Cowboys’ pass rush at pressuring and hurrying the quarterback?
Harris’ metaphor came in handy most when edge rusher Micah Parsons was healthy. Harris, also the Cowboys’ assistant coach last year, knew which play calls gave the two-time All-Pro edge rusher the green light to pressure and when his defensive backs should be ready accordingly.
Injuries limited Parsons to 13 games in 2024, but Parsons nonetheless finished with the fifth-most quarterback pressures in the league. With 75 total pressures, his 5.77 per game led the league among defenders who played at least a third of the season, per NFL Next Gen Stats.