It has been more than two decades now since Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith suited up for the team in Dallas, but there’s still no doubt that he has kept a critical eye on the team for which he helped win three Super Bowls. And there’s also no doubt that he is not all that impressed with what he’s seen through the first half of the season.
Like most observers of the Cowboys, Smith sees the defense as the problem. That’s not anything all that new or unique–the Cowboys are the second-worst defense in the league in points allowed (277) and yards allowed (3,577).
But what’s different about Smith is that he is not really holding back on assigning blame for what’s gone wrong with the Cowboys defense. he is the rare former star who is calling out the problem directly.
Emmitt Smith: Cowboys Look ‘Completely Lost’ on Defense
For Smith, the Cowboys’ issue has been defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. Smith spoke with the USA Today site Cowboys Wire, and it was clear he has not been impressed by the former Bears head coach, who is returning to Dallas, where he had been the linebackers coach from 2011-17.
“Man, do we look like we are completely lost,” Smith told Cowboys Wire. “I am befuddled at all of the things that are going wrong on the defensive side of the ball. We look very basic and very fundamental. And very amateurish, if you will. Nothing sexy about it. And still the mistakes are being made, which is to me is a sign of poor coaching, defensively.”
(Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)Defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus of the Dallas Cowboys
Cowboys Defense Has Undergone Big Changes on the Fly
Of course, Eberflus defenders out there–we presume there are a few–would point out that the Cowboys are now on their third defensive coordinator in three years, which is not an ideal recipe for building a defense.
The Cowboys also traded away Micah Parsons before the start of the season, and lost valuable veteran DeMarcus Lawrence. With injuries, too, the talent level dipped.
But Smith’s not really buying that.
“It can’t all be about players,” he said. “You have to start looking at coaches at some point, and every coach is not a genius. And every defensive coordinator is not a brilliant defensive coordinator or a great schemer. Some people hide behind some of the greatness of the people that left before them, and then when their time has come up, they’re nowhere near the caliber of coach that they thought they were.”
Coaching Changes Have Not Helped, Emmitt Smith Says
Now, the Cowboys do have an opportunity to change the defensive narrative, now that they’ve made the trades for lineman Quinnen Williams and linebacker Logan Wilson. They also have DeMarvion Overshown returning and will soon figure out of rookie Shavon Revel can help them.
The players, then, are getting better. But for Smith, it might well be the coach who is at fault.
“When I think about our defense right now, I know these guys are working hard. I’m not questioning that,” Smith said. “I know they’re trying, but I don’t know if the coaching or the personnel is there for them to do the things that they’re doing. … That’s part of the challenges that teams face when they rotate new coaches in and old coaches out.”
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