Stephen A. Smith can't blame Matt Eberflus for all of the Cowboys' defensive woes, but the numbers justify his firing (1:20)Open Extended ReactionsFRISCO, Texas -- Matt Eberflus has been fired as the defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys, the team announced Tuesday. Two days after the season ended with the Cowboys finishing last in the league in points per game and 30th in yards per game, Eberflus was relieved of his duties. "Having known Matt Eberflus for decades now, we have tremendous respect and appreciation for him as a coach and a person. As a result, the Cowboys will be looking for their fourth defensive coordinator in as many years after Dan Quinn (2023), Mike Zimmer (2024) and Eberflus (2025). The Cowboys' history with Eberflus -- he was an assistant coach from 2011 to 2017 -- and his track record as a quality defensive coordinator led Brian Schottenheimer to add him as defensive coordinator, but things never clicked.