Pressure is the point for Eberflus as Cowboys defense surges

Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus met with reporters Monday and sounded like a coach who knows exactly why his unit is peaking at the right time. Winners of three straight, the Cowboys are suddenly making life miserable for opposing quarterbacks, and Eberflus credits the surge to simple things: consistency, continuity, and faith in the process.

Still, when asked how and why his scheme has shifted during the season, he offered a glimpse into the thinking behind the adjustments.

“You move your scheme to where the players are… you always want to put your best players on the field,” Eberflus said. “If you have some really good [defensive] tackles like we do have, you find a way to get those guys on the field. You package it that way. So, you're always looking at the talent level that you have, what affects the quarterback, what affects the run game, and that's the most important thing.”

The Secret Sauce Starts Up Front

His answer lines up with what he has said in the past. Be dominant up front, commit to an attack front defense, and let the trenches dictate everything else. That philosophy explains why this defense has shapeshifted over the course of the season. Mostly 4-3 base looks in the early weeks. A steady rise in five-man fronts during mid-season. And this past week, a couple of bold six-man looks that grabbed attention.

The results speak loudly. Third-down defense has improved dramatically. The pass rush is producing at an elevated level. And since Quinnen Williams showed up, a defensive line that had been getting bullied in the trenches is suddenly dictating terms at the line of scrimmage.

Coverage That Finally Fits the Pressure

Eberflus’ tweaks aren’t stopping with the defensive front. The secondary is beginning to evolve as well. Tighter coverage, varied disguises, and a noticeable uptick in disruption on the back end.

“It's a little bit tighter coverage. We've had some of that, mixing up the coverage looks,” Eberflus said. “You got to be able to do that. And then really it comes down to the most important thing is the pressure. If it's four-man, five-man, or we're sending a guy off the ball, whatever that might be… Pressure on the quarterback, collapsing the pocket, making them feel it from the middle, from the outside. And I think that's always a big part of it. And the first job you got to have in pass defense or in situational defense.”

Survival Mode Activated

The Cowboys cannot afford a misstep if they want any chance of clawing into the postseason. Many expect their surging defense to feast on a Lions offensive line that is both beat up and inconsistent, but Eberflus refuses to buy the hype.

“They run the ball very well, Detroit, and they have two really good runners,” he said. “[Their] offensive line does a really good job of creating angles, getting numbers where they want them, so it's going to be a big challenge for us this week.”

That ground game may play an even bigger role on Thursday since star receiver Amon Ra St. Brown missed Monday's practice with an ankle injury and is currently questionable for Thursday's matchup.

Even so, Eberflus sees nothing soft or diminished about the Lions’ overall identity.

“The identity is there in terms of the toughness, in terms of the finish and physicality of the whole group,” he said. “It doesn't matter if it's offense, defense, or special teams, that's the first thing that jumps off the tape, and then the ability to go for it on fourth down, in the quad zone, in the high red zone and really run the ball at any point. So, you got to be ready for that… it's going to be a big challenge.”

For a Cowboys team clinging to its playoff hopes, Thursday is another must-have. And for a defense that has rediscovered its swagger, Eberflus has made one thing clear. The evolution is not a fluke. It is the blueprint.

This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: How Matt Eberflus transformed the Cowboys defense after the bye