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NFL NFL Week 15 T. J. Hockenson's fourth-quarter, 18-yard reception put the Vikings in position for the go-ahead score Sunday night against the Cowboys. Sam Hodde / Getty Images ARLINGTON, Texas — Jerry Jones would love to have continuity with his defensive coaching staff. He’s had three different defensive coordinators over the last three seasons. He’d prefer the Dallas Cowboys to build on a second consecutive year of Matt Eberflus as defensive coordinator. But after Sunday night’s defensive debacle, Jones has to seriously consider extending that streak to four coordinators in four years. Advertisement Leaving the postgame locker room following Dallas’ 34-26 loss to the Minnesota Vikings at AT&T Stadium, Jones was asked if he still thinks Eberflus is the right coach for the job. His response was clear that his mind has not been made up yet for the 2026 season. “The adjustments that we should be making (defensively) should be with these next three games in mind, ” Jones said. “With three games left in the short time that we’ve got to play them in, then that will impact any adjustments that you make regarding coaching with the time frame we’re dealing with. That’s a legit question. ” Minnesota (6-8) has one of the NFL’s worst offenses. The Vikings entered averaging 279 yards per game, fifth-lowest in the NFL, and 20 points per game, seventh-worst. Against the Cowboys (6-7-1), they managed 327 yards and their second-highest point total of the year. Second-year quarterback J. J. Mc Carthy has played poorly most of the season. Despite being the 10th overall pick two years ago, Mc Carthy hasn’t come close to locking up the job as Minnesota’s franchise QB. But he looked like it Sunday night, completing 15 of 24 passes for a career-high 250 yards, two touchdowns and one interception to go along with one rushing touchdown. “I’d like to play better defense, and at the end of the day, that’s what he does, ” Jones said when asked about Eberflus. “From the standpoint I know Matt, of course, individually since he’s coached here for many, many years. But I thought we made some adjustments. They handled it pretty good. “If you notice, the (Vikings defensive) style is that they get up, put a lot up (by the line of scrimmage) to look at, and then they mix it up, kind of take some out, and put some in, so to speak, while it’s all going on. We kind of do it different philosophically. Theirs won the day. ” When Dallas’ defense struggled early in the season, it was easy to point blame at the front office for trading All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons a week before the start of the season. But after a 3-5-1 start, the Cowboys made some notable moves at the trade deadline, adding veteran linebacker Logan Wilson and All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams. Those moves, combined with getting starting linebacker De Marvion Overshown and rookie cornerback Shavon Revel back from knee injuries, made it look like the group was turning a corner. Advertisement Three consecutive wins followed and a defense that was arguably the league’s worst looked like it could at least be middle of the pack. Then came the 44-30 loss at Detroit last week and Sunday night’s inexcusable performance. The most alarming part for Eberflus is that some of Dallas’ worst defensive performances this season have come against teams he knows best. Eberflus was the Chicago Bears head coach from 2022 through Thanksgiving of 2024. In games against the four NFC North teams this season, the Cowboys went 0-3-1 while giving up 37 points and 402 yards per game. “I felt like we gave up too many explosives, ” Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said. “I think those are the things you have to eliminate. Again, these guys play hard. These guys played a really physical game. But at the end of the day, we have to play better as a football team and got to get more pressure on the quarterback, got to get them on the ground. “I don’t think we played well enough to win. That’s not just the players. That starts with me and the staff and I own that. I take that and give them credit for making the plays that they had to make when they made them. ” The last time Dallas’ defense was this poor was 2020, Mike Mc Carthy’s first season as head coach. Mike Nolan was fired after that season, his only one as the team’s defensive coordinator. Dan Quinn was hired to replace Nolan, the team then drafted Parsons and made the playoffs each of the next three seasons with Quinn as DC. When Quinn was hired as the Washington Commanders head coach, Mike Zimmer was named defensive coordinator. Dallas went 7-10, parted ways with Mc Carthy, then hired Schottenheimer as head coach and Eberflus as DC. A significant factor in going with Eberflus was how well the Cowboys knew him from his seven seasons (2011-2017) as the team’s linebackers coach and defensive passing game coordinator. But there have been very few positives through 14 games. There hasn’t been nearly enough pressure on opposing quarterbacks and the back seven has consistently given up too many big plays week after week. And beyond the poor statistics, there aren’t many defenders playing well individually. Advertisement Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs, who has struggled to stay on the field, believes he’s healthy enough to return, but he may have played his final game in Dallas. There’s a clear disconnect between him and the franchise, and the two sides appear headed for a breakup. Diggs was at his best when he made the Pro Bowl during the 2021 and 2022 seasons, when Dallas had one of the NFL’s better defensive units. Why does he think the defense hasn’t clicked this season? “It could be the change in defensive coordinator, ” Diggs said. “That’s hard to deal with, changing plays, changing personnel, finding what fits, finding what scheme fits your players that you have, and then trying to find a balance that you can run with. I think we made some great additions, like on the interior with adding Quinnen and Kenny Clark and that was good. I feel like it’s headed in the right direction. ” That was difficult to see while watching the performance Sunday night. And that’s not to say that the offense was without blame. Dak Prescott, Cee Dee Lamb, George Pickens and the rest of the group weren’t very good, either. But that side of the ball has shown that it can be among the league’s best. The defense is a completely different story. If the final three games look like Sunday night, the offseason changes should be more than just about personnel. Jon Machota is a staff writer covering the Dallas Cowboys for The Athletic. He previously covered the Cowboys for The Dallas Morning News. He's a Detroit native and graduate of Wayne State University. Follow Jon on Twitter @jonmachota