Three weeks into the 2025 NFL season, the Dallas Cowboys have a clear identity problem—they can score, but the defensive schemes players can’t stop anyone through the air.
They rank at the bottom of the league in explosive pass plays allowed, giving up repeated chunk gains on play-action crossers, seam, and deep shots.
Through three games against the Eagles, Giants, and Bears, Dallas allowed over 860 passing yards combined, with multiple completions of 20+ yards that flipped field position instantly.
If this team wants to be any kind of relevant this season, the answer isn’t just “play harder”—it’s a personnel change.
The Cowboys should start Marist Liufau, rookie Shemar James, and safety Juanyeh Thomas, while moving Donovan Wilson into a hybrid linebacker role.
This retooling would put faster processors, stronger tacklers, and smarter coverage defenders on the field, giving Dallas a chance to stop the bleeding.
Marist Liufau: The Jack-of-All-Trades Linebacker
Marist Liufau is built to stay on the field for all three downs. He can drop into hook and curl zones, carry tight ends up the seam, and even come downhill to stop running backs.
Opponents have been targeting Dallas’ linebackers on angle routes and play-action roll-outs, where Kenneth Murray Jr. and Jack Sanborn have struggled to match up.
Liufau’s ability to close quickly and tackle in space would cut down on yards after the catch and force quarterbacks to make tighter-window throws.
The added bonus? His leadership skills could stabilize communication issues that have plagued Dallas’ coverage rotations. With Liufau as the defensive signal-caller, this unit can play faster and react instead of getting caught flat-footed.
Shemar James: The Tone-Setter
James might not be the rangiest linebacker, but he brings a physical, no-nonsense approach that this defense needs.
Dallas has been too soft on underneath throws, allowing receivers to turn quick slants into 10- and 12-yard gains. James can change that with aggressive downhill tackling and by taking away the easy yards.
He’s exactly the kind of player who can force second-and-long situations, which allows the pass rush to get creative.
Juanyeh Thomas: The Playmaker in the Secondary
Dallas has only one interception through three games, and it came on a tipped ball. They need a ball hawk who can create takeaways, and Juanyeh Thomas has shown that ability in the preseason.
He plays with anticipation, understands route concepts, and delivers hits that separate receivers from the ball.
Putting Thomas on the field next to Malik Hooker would allow Hooker to stay deep, protecting against the very explosive passes that have been crushing the team.
Donovan Wilson: Disguised Weapon
Wilson is the enforcer of this defense, but he is a liability in coverage and consistently struggles to stay in his assigned area. Keeping him in deep coverage negates his physicality and run-stopping ability.
Moving him to a hybrid linebacker role unlocks his full skill set—blitzing off the edge, mugging A-gaps, or dropping short to take away quick routes.
This would also allow defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus to get more exotic with his pressures, confusing opposing quarterbacks and creating turnovers.
Why This Change Fixes the Passing Problem
This is not a minor tweak—it’s a shift toward personnel-driven solutions:
- Coverage integrity: Liufau matches up with backs/TEs, closing the soft spots in the middle.
- Yards-after-catch control: James and Wilson tackle in space, turning 12-yard gains into 4-yard stops.
- Explosive play prevention: Thomas and Hooker can play two-high looks without coverage busts.
- Pass rush synergy: Wilson’s hybrid presence creates disguised pressures that speed up QB reads.
The result would be fewer chunk plays, more forced third downs, and more opportunities for Dallas’ defensive line to do damage.
Agree, making adjustments/changes to this defense would be advisable. Also, with CD out, why not incorporate Blue into the offense. He is a good pass catching RB, who has homerun hitting ability. Checking down to Ferguson for four yards and NO YAC is not getting it done.
Spot on about Ferguson. The way they use him in the flat, he is basically turning into a 35 year old Jason Witten. He should not have 12 catches a game – get him down the field. Blue should play- what are they waiting for? They need a home.run hitter especially without CD.
a Dallas Cowboys fan, since the 70’s all Jerry Jones has to do is start playing the back ups and any body from the practice squad it won’t fix anything
K TURPIN has to play more going forward, run blocking in two Tight End sets is important, keep defense off field a must ,your kicker can hit from midfield Damn near so play selection has to be on point…
Play them,it can’t hurt any worse.Sit Diggs and #20
Shott and Fluss should have never been hired in the first place. Jerry is an idiot.
Totally agree re: Shemar James. At least from the pre-season snapshots. Kenneth Murray under-pursues whilst Sanborn over-pursues. I’m still in doubt about Liufau as he still seems a bit lost sometimes on plays, but I think more reps will help with that. In any case – he’s a straight upgrade over Clark at the moment.
The only concern I have is that we seem to put on our rose-tinted glasses during the off-season practices, with everyone raving about every players during practices. But it never really translates when we come into the season against true starters. Ezeiruaku for example – as soon as the pads have come on, he’s been shown to be way too undersized and can’t get off blocks. He needs the threat of a bullrush to keep tackles honest against his quick speed.
I’m also confused as to why our DL substitutions seem to involve a straight swap of 1st string to 2nd string. This can happen mid-drive and so the opposing offense gets to and the starters don’t get time to ‘bed-in’ and work anything out (though Fowler should be 2nd string anyway)
Totally agree, been a Cowboy fan since 1965, this is one of the worst defensive efforts I have ever seen, scheme. Player selection etc
I actually could not agree more. Going back and watching all three games in all 22 I am just floored that K. Murray is still out there down after down. I can’t count the number of times he is still flat footed in his stance as the play progresses. Kendricks (while not what he once was) was twice the player Murray is & I love Dono but he is killing us in coverage especially when he ends up being the single high guy on some plays. It is literally asking for teams to go long & usually winds up with 6 points on the board for the bad guys.
The biggest issue: Eberflus is in the category of coaches who has his system that he imposes on his players rather than adapt his system to the talent he has available. I don’t expect him to be around for too long and surprised he’s been around as long as he has.