“It Was Warranted”: Stephen A. Smith Backs the Cowboys for Firing DC Matt Eberflus

Finishing second in total yardage over an entire NFL season usually guarantees a successful campaign. In 2024, the Lions were second and won 15 games. In 2022 and 2023, the Eagles and 49ers both made it to the Super Bowl. Prior to the 2025 campaign, you’d have to go back to 2015 to find a team that finished second in total yardage and missed the postseason.

That’s what makes what the Dallas Cowboys (who finished second in yardage) did this year so special. And we mean special in the worst kind of way. It’s almost impossible to keep an offense that good from making a postseason run. And yet, Matt Eberflus’ Cowboys defense did just that.

So it should come as no surprise that heads are now rolling on the defensive side of Big D. Eberflus, in his first year as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator, has predictably been let go. And of course, the president of the Cowboys haters fan club, Stephen A. Smith, wasn’t pulling punches, with the holiday season over.

“No surprise, deservedly so. … I don’t want to celebrate a human being’s firing. But I will say, however, it was warranted,” Stephen A. said during a segment on First Take.

“You’re giving up over 30 points a game. One of the worst defenses in all of the NFL. And if you look at how high-powered their offense was, if you did a better job, then guess what, this team might have had a shot,” added the analyst.

The Dallas defense gave up the most points and yards per play and the third-most total yards. They allowed 34+ points in seven games. That led the league in 2025 and ranks tied for 4th-most in a season since the 1970 merger. Smith went on to dissect the reasons for their poor showing this year.

“It didn’t help that you lost Micah Parsons right before the season started. It didn’t help that Jerry Jones waited until the trade deadline to get Williams and what have you,” noted the analyst, before adding,

“In the end it was apparent very, very early that this man didn’t need to be the defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys. We can’t say it was the wrong decision. What we’re saying is the wrong decision was to hire him in the first place.”

https://twitter.com/firsttake/status/2008571585163055596?s=46

 

Dallas made a few trades and moves on the defensive side this season that gave their unit a new look. Out went All-Pros Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs, and in came defensive tackles Kenny Clark and Quinnen Williams. The midseason addition of the latter actually seemed to turn the defensive tide for Dallas.

The changes even led to three straight games where the defense held the opponent to under 30 points, the only time they were able to string together a streak like that all year. But it turns out that was only temporary, as they gave up 34+ in four of their final five games. Unsurprisingly, they went 1-4 during that five-game stretch.

A new defensive coordinator is a start, but this Dallas defense is going to need a whole lot more wholesale changes than that.