Rex Ryan loses his mind in tirade over Dallas Cowboys ‘Dumbsday’ defense

Rex Ryan didn’t hold back when discussing the Dallas Cowboys defense following their loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 3.

The former NFL head coach who made his mark as a defensive coordinator was blown away by how poorly the defense played, and gave them a new nickname while ripping them to shreds on ESPN’s Get Up.

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"Just when we thought it couldn't get worse, this defense comes up with even a worse performance. As I call them, Doomsday Defense, man, the history of the Cowboys. Oh, my goodness. I see Bob Lilly. I see them all out there—Randy White, all of them,” Ryan said.

"This one, I think we have a new name for it. What did I call it yesterday? Dumbsday Defense. Dumbsday. Why? Because they play so dumb. It's unbelievable. They have no concept of zone coverage anymore. That's a hell of a coverage right there. They play with 10? I don't know. But this defense is absolutely garbage."

Rex Ryan just went OFF on the Cowboys 😳 pic.twitter.com/qYa2eT7J4X
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) September 22, 2025

Ryan was especially bothered that defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus didn’t make enough adjustments. He said they failed to change the way they attacked the quarterback and stuck with zone coverage too long.

"Let's play our zone. Let's play our zone because we're so smart. No, you're so dumb. You're so dumb. I can't stand it. Do something. I don't want to hear about it. You can't rush the passer. Then how about we sit more players at the quarterback? We can't play zone coverage. How about we play man coverage? You guys stink. Dumbsday Defense."

There are countless fans who will agree with Ryan’s take, but his claim that Dallas needed to try man coverage might be slightly off base. Eberflus did try some man coverage, and it was a disaster. According to Bobby Belt, Caleb Williams went 4-for-4 for 86 yards with two touchdowns on those plays.

Caleb Williams was 4 for 4 for 86 yards and two touchdowns against man coverage today.
— Bobby Belt (@BobbyBeltTX) September 22, 2025

This isn’t to say Ryan’s rant is wrong, just that the fix might not be as easy as adjusting their scheme.

Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus looks on during the game between Dallas and the Baltimore Ravens. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

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