Overview

• Dallas fell 30-27 to the Panthers as Carolina piled up 183 rushing yards, paced by former Cowboy Rico Dowdl.
• Head coach Brian Schottenheimer defended defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus as “a great coach” and identified poor gap control and misfit run lanes as the central problem.
• Schottenheimer said the fixes start with coaching and vowed changes after repeated gains with runners not contacted until several yards downfield.
• Fans and some local media are calling for a change at DC, while opinion pieces blame front-office influence and cite reporting that Eberflus was favored for the job before Schottenheimer was hired.
• Eberflus has said he returned because of his trust in the Jones family, and Dallas next faces Washington as scrutiny of the defense intensifies.