Latest news with #MattEberflus
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cowboys Rookie LB Could Threaten Starting Lineup Spot
Cowboys Rookie LB Could Threaten Starting Lineup Spot originally appeared on Athlon Sports. With Matt Eberflus now calling the shots as defensive coordinator, the Dallas Cowboys targeted the linebacker room heavily during free agency and the NFL Draft. Advertisement Not only does Eberflus bring unique linebacker-driven schemes and coverages, but the departure of former DC Mike Zimmer meant the expected loss of Dallas' leading tackler from last season in Eric Kendricks, who is still an unrestricted free agent. As free agency got underway, the Cowboys traded for Tennessee Titans captain Kenneth Murray Jr. and signed promising prospect Jack Sanborn, who played under Eberflus last season with the Chicago Bears. In the Draft, Dallas picked Florida linebacker Shemar James with the 152nd pick in the fifth round. These additions, along with returning youngster Marist Liufau, should fill out the group as breakout star DeMarvion Overshown rehabs his knee injury, which could take at least half the season. Advertisement What's left to determine is what combo of these four available pieces will be in the starting lineup. Some believe James could be a "dark horse" candidate to sneak up to the top of the depth chart. James, 20, is among the youngest players drafted this year, but benefits from one factor that comes with being by Cowboys over anywhere else: collective unfamiliarity. As a rookie, he's already faced with a tough task of getting acclimated to the NFL game to go along with a new environment. That's no easy test. But James could be better off in this situation because there is change for the others, too. Advertisement Under a new coaching staff, James' peers are in that learning process right along with him, which levels the playing field. Sanborn may be the slight exception having been with Eberflus recently, but he still was in and out of the starting lineup and has room to grow athletically. James has a ways to go before he earns a spot on the 53-man roster, let alone the starting 11. Thankfully for him, he plays a position in need of a difference maker or someone that asserts themself as the alpha in this room. The cognitive processing will come with Eberflus showing him the ropes, but by building on his impressive showings from earlier this offseason, James could find himself in the hunt for first team reps in training camp. Advertisement Related: Cowboys Make Surprising Cut of Fan-Favorite Defensive Tackle Related: Cowboys' New-Look Run Game Gets Embarrassing Ranking from PFF This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Matt Eberflus Breaks Silence on Caleb Williams' Rookie-Year Criticism
Matt Eberflus Breaks Silence on Caleb Williams' Rookie-Year Criticism originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Caleb Williams' rookie year with the Chicago Bears was filled with both anticipation and adversity. After the team moved on from Justin Fields and selected Williams with the No. 1 overall pick, the pressure to turn around a franchise with a rocky history at quarterback intensified. While there were flashes of brilliance on the field, behind the scenes, tensions were quietly brewing. And now, one former Bears coach has broken his silence. Advertisement In a recent interview on The Doomsday Podcast, former Bears head coach Matt Eberflus appeared to address criticism reportedly leveled at the Bears' coaching staff in an upcoming biography titled American Kings: A Biography of the Quarterback by ESPN's Seth Wickersham. Caleb WilliamsGetty Images A clip shared by Bears on CHSN captured Eberflus responding to allegations that Williams was left on his own to study film. 'In the development of the quarterback position, and really all my positions at the Bears, we always had daily, coached film sessions. That was all throughout the entire year. So, that's what I observed. That's where it was.' This directly contradicts a quote shared by Scott Polacek of Bleacher Report, who cited ESPN's reporting from Wickersham's upcoming biography. According to that excerpt: 'The quarterback [Caleb Williams] told his father that the coaching staff wouldn't instruct him on how to watch film or even join him for much of his study, which he ended up doing alone.' 'No one tells me what to watch,' he said. 'I just turn it on.' Williams recently addressed the public criticism surrounding his film habits—criticism that intensified following the book excerpts—and clarified that his issue wasn't a lack of knowledge about watching film—it was about improving the way he watched it. In a clip shared by NFL on FOX, he stated: 'It wasn't that I didn't know how to watch film. It was more or less the sense of … learning ways to watch film and be more efficient. Learning ways to pick up things better.' Advertisement The contrast suggests a clear disconnect between the young quarterback and the previous coaching regime. Whether it was a clash of philosophies, personalities, or just a system that didn't quite fit, the underlying tension was hard to ignore. Williams may not have publicly criticized the staff, but the implications from those close to him painted a picture of a rookie navigating things largely on his own. Eberflus, now serving as the defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys, isn't backing down—his version of events is firm, and the tone he struck sounded unapologetic. As the dust settles, the Bears have turned the page. With Ben Johnson calling the shots and a renewed emphasis on quarterback development, Williams has a chance to finally get the structure and consistency he once lacked. The past may be murky, but the road ahead offers something the Bears haven't had in a long time—hope under center. Advertisement Related: Bears 10-Year Veteran Bids Emotional Farewell to Chicago Related: Why Colston Loveland and the Bears' Tight End Room Could Define the 2025 Offense This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 17, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Former Bears HC Matt Eberflus responds to Caleb Williams' film comments
Former Bears HC Matt Eberflus responds to Caleb Williams' film comments Caleb Williams has been in the headlines this offseason following an ESPN report from Seth Wickersham about his pre-draft concerns about joining the Chicago Bears. There were also comments from Williams during a rocky rookie season, which included the firing of head coach Matt Eberflus in-season. According to the report, Williams told his dad that at times he would watch film alone without instruction or guidance from his coaches. ESPN quoted Williams telling his dad: "No one tells me what to watch. I just turn it on." In a recent appearance on the Doomsday Podcast with Ed Werder, Eberflus (now the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator) denied the claim that he and his former coaching staff didn't help Williams with film study in 2024. 'In the development of the quarterback position, and really all my positions at the Bears, we always had daily, coached film sessions,' Eberflus said. 'That was all throughout the entire year. So, that's what I observed. That's where it was.' To be fair, that's not what Williams said. While the ESPN report seemed to indicate Williams didn't know how to watch film, that wasn't the case. During OTAs, Williams clarified his comments, which were taken out of context, explaining the issue was watching film more efficiently as a means to gather information. "It wasn't that I didn't know how to watch film, it was trying to figure out the best ways and more efficient ways so that I can watch more film," Williams said, "I can gather more information, so that when I do go out there on gameday, that information I gathered through Monday, when we got back, all the way up to whatever day the gameday is, so that when I get out there, I can gather it, I see it, I can react, and it's not me sitting there thinking so much about the rules and these different things. It's more of a reaction game at that point, a muscle memory." With new head coach Ben Johnson now leading the charge, Williams certainly appears to be in good hands. And there's little doubt that Johnson, one of the league's most respected offensive minds, has already guided Williams through film study.
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cowboys' Schottenheimer Self-Scouts Offseason With Good News 'Fingerprints' Review
Cowboys' Schottenheimer Self-Scouts Offseason With Good News 'Fingerprints' Review originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The winds of change have blown through The Star this offseason, both on and off the field, and Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer is at the center of it all. Advertisement Having carefully picked the players and coaching staff with the help of the front office, Schotty has gotten things off to a positive start both on and off the field. With OTAs and minicamp completed, the early portion of the offseason program, where the scheme and system are put in place, is crucial. What is even more important is that the players understand it and are able to execute it. Why? So when training camp rolls around, as Schotty says, "it's go time." 'I think getting the system in place in all three of those phases is really important,' Schottenheimer said. 'I love where we're at right now offensively, in terms of the changes and the adjustments that we're going to do. Defensively, I love what Flus [Matt Eberflus] has brought from a mentality and a mindset. Advertisement "Of course, with Nick [Sorensen] and Carlos [Polk] with the special teams, just really with the three pieces coming back, Trent [Sieg], Banger [Bryan Anger], and Brandon [Aubrey], seeing him put his fingerprint on that has been really exciting.' Dak Prescott (4) and Brian SchottenheimerTim Heitman-Imagn Images So the foundations for the system and game style have now been laid out, with players now off for roughly six weeks. This is not the time to sit back and relax; it's time to stay in the classroom. Once they hit Oxnard, Schottenheimer won't want to have to bring players up to speed on things when they should already be across them, and going by his words, most are. Advertisement The system that Schotty hopes will deliver success to Dallas in 2025 has been formulated and then tweaked in preparation for a big training camp in Oxnard. Schottenheimer is pleased with how each phase has progressed, and we have heard glowing reports about each, but training camp will be the true test of how settled this scheme is. Is it July yet? Related: Cowboys Credited With 'Near Perfect' Offseason For One Major Reason Related: Dak Prescott Opens Up About Controversial Cowboys Receiver This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cowboys' Eberflus Explains How Dak Prescott Encouraged Return to Dallas
Cowboys' Eberflus Explains How Dak Prescott Encouraged Return to Dallas originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Dallas Cowboys suffered a forgettable 2024 season in a 7-10 showing where they struggled stopping opposing rushers just as much as they did running it themselves. Advertisement With a staff of 17 new assistant coaches under first-year boss Brian Schottenheimer, Cowboys fans hope a new system can maximize the team's talent and health for a bounce-back campaign. On the defensive side, Dallas hired coordinator Matt Eberflus whose scheme prides on stopping the run and playing physical. For 'Flus, it is a reunion in Big D after he spent seven seasons with the Cowboys from 2011-2017 then was gone for seven seasons from 2018-2024. He spoke with Cowboys writers Ed Werder and Matt Mosley about the three components that encouraged him to take this job. "Yeah that was easy for me," Eberflus said about the decision. Advertisement "Number one, the Jones family, the familiarity with them. I love Mr. Jones, Stephen Jones and the entire family. To be able to come back and work with those guys ... I trust them, know them, have a relationship with them, and that, to me, was number one." His second point, with Eberflus notoriously a defensive genius, might raise some eyebrows. "Secondly ... really to me it was Dak Prescott," he said. Eberflus recalled when he was still on the staff and Dallas drafted Prescott in the fourth round, then took the league by storm by leading the Cowboys to an 11-1 start and 13-3 season. "I know what's inside his heart and what kind of man he is and what kind of leader he is. So to me, that was a slam dunk." Advertisement Eberflus was first in conversations with the Cowboys before Schottenheimer was officially hired. But when that deal became official, it was the cherry on top. He mentioned that he had talked to friends who knew Schotty and said he is "a great football mind, a great guy, and great leader". "I was all in at that point," Eberflus said. "It's exciting," he continued. "It's exciting for me to be back - basically almost back home." Schottenheimer and his staff quickly won over the minds of Cowboys Nation who were skeptical of his hiring at first. The next test for Schotty and 'Flus will be winning football games in order to win over fans' hearts. Advertisement Related: 'Nervous' Cowboys Coach Reveals 'At Peace' Moment Related: Cowboys Depth Chart Taking Shape In Major Update Ahead of Training Camp This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
