As had been anticipated for a number of days, the Cowboys named Matt Eberflus as their new defensive coordinator, transferring on from Mike Zimmer after one season. Eberflus coached the Cowboys linebackers for seven seasons, spending the final two with the added title of move sport coordinator.
The Cowboys have employed Matt Eberflus as their defensive coordinator, per a supply. Formally within the fold.
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) January 28, 2025
Eberflus initially got here to Dallas to comply with Rob Ryan, below whom he had coached in Cleveland, however was retained when Monte Kiffin and Rod Marinelli took over the protection from Ryan. Eberflus shortly grew to become a disciple of the legendary Tampa 2 protection, which he totally carried out because the Colts defensive coordinator when he departed Dallas following the 2017 season.
4 profitable seasons working the Colts protection helped Eberflus land the top teaching gig for the Bears. That kicked off a attempting tenure that noticed loads of struggles, each on and off the sphere, for the staff. Eberflus was fired shortly after a Thanksgiving loss to Detroit this previous season, a sport that noticed him decide to not name a timeout in a vital end-of-game second. It was the primary time within the Bears’ 104-year historical past they’d fired a coach midseason; Eberflus completed with a 14-32 file.
Don’t let that discourage you from this rent, although. Eberflus could not have labored out as a head coach, however his defensive prowess has not disappeared. Whereas Eberflus initially didn’t name the performs on protection in Chicago, he took over after two weeks within the 2023 season.
As soon as Eberflus resumed calling performs, his protection flourished: they completed that yr ninth in EPA/play, thirteenth in success charge, and sixth in EPA/rush. Eberflus remained the play-caller in 2024 (till his firing, that’s) and the Bears had been ninth in EPA/play, tenth in success charge, and seventh in EPA/dropback below his watch.
Plainly coordinator is the place Eberflus is most suited, however what’s the tactic behind his insanity? With almost six full seasons calling performs, Eberflus’ scheme is fairly clear by now, and there are some signature tenets of his defensive philosophy.
It begins with HITS
All through his teaching tenure, Eberflus has retained one easy mantra: HITS. The acronym stands for Hustle, Depth, Takeaways, and Sensible. The HITS precept is the elemental lynchpin of the Eberflus protection.
Hustle and depth mainly go hand-in-hand. Eberflus makes use of the identical loaf system that Marinelli utilized in Dallas (and in different stops), which basically quantities to monitoring how usually a participant is being lazy throughout a play. Eberflus usually factors to the ultimate three seconds of any given play, monitoring “an acceleration to and thru” the play.
As for takeaways, Eberflus has incessantly burdened the significance of them. In his 4 seasons in Indianapolis, the Colts protection completed Prime 10 in takeaways all however one yr. The Bears completed that feat every of the final two years as nicely. Eberflus stresses tip drill fundamentals and ball stripping strategies usually in practices to encourage this.
The ultimate tenet – good – finally comes all the way down to self-discipline. His Colts defenses completed every season with fewer penalties than the yr earlier than, and his Bears defenses completed within the prime 5 in fewest penalties two of his three season; they’d the fewest of any protection final yr.
Execution over creativity
Latest years within the NFL has seen a proliferation of defensive coordinators who throw out a ton of chaotic ideas, together with every of the Cowboys’ final two coaches on that aspect of the ball. Eberflus, by stark distinction, shouldn’t be a lot of a mad scientist along with his scheme.
The S in HITS may simply as simply stand for simplicity, as a result of an Eberflus protection shouldn’t be one that’s going to confuse quarterbacks earlier than or after the snap. Whereas he confirmed some willingness to deviate in his closing yr in Chicago, Eberflus is usually fairly vanilla along with his defensive ideas.
That is intentional, although, as Eberflus prefers to maintain issues easy for his protection and as an alternative put all of the emphasis on taking part in quick and explosive. He doesn’t need his gamers pondering an excessive amount of about what protection they’re supposed to change to or how one can shift their entrance based mostly on the offensive alignments, however as an alternative to have only one task and go full their job.
That can mark a drastic departure from Zimmer’s scheme, which is notoriously complicated however is a nightmare for opposing offenses when it’s correctly understood by the defenders. With Eberflus, the Cowboys defenders shouldn’t have a lot bother selecting up the playbook. As an alternative, Eberflus will focus extra on ensuring his gamers contribute most effort on the sphere.
Two core positions
For many who bear in mind the Marinelli days in Dallas, Eberflus has some related personnel necessities in the case of his roster. He doesn’t essentially require huge our bodies within the trenches or insane top within the secondary, however there are two positions of extreme significance on this scheme.
The primary is the 3-technique defensive sort out, which is described because the engine that makes this protection run. Eberflus calls for an athletic 3-technique that may disrupt the mesh level, and he builds his whole entrance round this participant.
Osa Odighizuwa is a perfect match for what Eberflus wants right here, however the defensive sort out’s rookie deal is ready to run out this offseason. Eberflus is more likely to push for Odighizwuwa’s extension, but it surely’s unclear what would possibly occur there.
The linebacker spots are additionally essential to the scheme. Eberflus, not like Zimmer, makes use of nickel packages at a particularly excessive charge. As such, he actually solely wants a MIKE and WILL linebacker. There are two foremost traits he appears for in his linebackers, no matter spot: dimension and vary. His linebacker duo’s in Indianapolis (Shaq Leonard and Bobby Okereke) and Chicago (Tremaine Edmunds and TJ Edwards) all measure at the least 6’2” and proper across the 240 pound vary.
The MIKE spot requires somebody with instincts in zone protection and good downhill pace. They want to have the ability to reliably drop into the deep center of the sphere in protection but in addition set off downhill in run assist. As for the WILL, Eberflus requires a sideline-to-sideline run stuffer sort. He incessantly aligns the WILL behind the 3-technique to assist maintain them clear in run protection.
On paper, DeMarvion Overshown would appear to be a super MIKE, although his standing for the 2025 season is clearly up within the air. Marist Liufau got here on sturdy in the direction of the tip of his rookie yr, and confirmed a number of traits that would appear destined for the WILL spot, although Eberflus could really feel in a different way as soon as he opinions the tape.
Bend however don’t break
In step with Eberflus’ prioritization of execution over scheme, his protection can also be constructed on a bend-but-don’t-break philosophy. This results in his defenses incessantly giving up a whole lot of yards however faring significantly better in factors allowed.
This additionally signifies that Eberflus shouldn’t be a lot of an attacker as a play-caller. Up entrance, he not often blitzes; an Eberflus protection has by no means ranked larger than sixteenth in blitz charge, and all however one among his defenses have ranked within the 20’s. Eberflus additionally makes restricted use of simulated pressures along with his defensive position. In contrast, each Zimmer and Dan Quinn made a residing off of each ideas. When Eberflus does blitz, he has an awesome tendency to take action along with his slot cornerback.
In protection, Eberflus makes frequent use of two deep safeties, very like Zimmer. Nevertheless, he’s not one which makes use of a lot disguise in his coverages, primarily biking between Cowl 2 zone, Cowl 2 man, and Cowl 4 (also referred to as quarters). That is philosophically consistent with the rise of Vic Fangio’s defensive scheme, though each coaches train their strategies somewhat in a different way.
Nonetheless, Eberflus shares with Fangio an intent on taking away huge performs and making the offense work for tiny achieve after tiny achieve all the best way down the sphere, banking on his gamers forcing a mistake out of the offense in some unspecified time in the future. The strategy has labored wonders at two totally different stops in Eberflus’ profession; can he have the identical success in Dallas?
