FRISCO, Texas – It's no secret that the Cowboys' defense hasn't been up to standard through eight games in the 2025 NFL season.
Dallas' players know that, and so does defensive tackle Osa Odighizuwa, who is one of the captains of the team and is clearly not satisfied especially against the run, where the Cowboys are giving up the fourth most rushing yards per game in the NFL (146).
"It's not good enough, it's plain and simple," Odighizuwa said of Dallas' run defense. "That's something that we're still just trying to improve, we're working every day, so just continue to try and sharpen and making sure we're trying to improve. We still have, not like a lot of time, but you know what I mean, we still have a good amount of games left to be able to put it on tape and build confidence going into December and January."
Part of the reason it's not good enough? Odighizuwa's own play, he admitted.
"Myself personally, I'm not playing my best ball right now," Odighizuwa said. "I'm definitely looking at myself, seeing if I can use my hands a little bit better in the run game, just working on my technique and seeing if I can clean that up. Just trying to polish that and make sure that I'm taking the steps to, when I look at myself on tape, I'm doing everything that I can to help the other 10 guys that are out there on the field."
Going back to when the Cowboys all got together in training camp in Oxnard, things seemed to be clicking for Dallas' defense in practice and that gave them confidence going into the year. It hasn't translated on the field in the regular season, but to a degree their experience together over the summer can serve as reassurance that they can play at a high level.
"Definitely not where we thought we would be when we were in camp," Odighizuwa said. "And especially going against the, I would say, one of the best if not the best offense in the league right now every day in camp. I think there's definitely a higher level of confidence that we can just have in terms of knowing what we're capable of, we've done it before, we've put it on tape, and just continue to find consistency in that."
So that begs the question, why aren't the Cowboys playing at a high level like they thought they would at training camp? A lot of things have contributed to it, and part of the solution is, well, being solution oriented, like head coach Brian Schottenheimer has called for.
"Everyone just looking in the mirror and saying, 'What more can we give as an individual to the team? What more can we do, how much more can we prepare?'" Odighizuwa said. "Just everyone asking themselves, 'Is there more to give, and how can I get better?'"
Odighizuwa and new-running mate Kenny Clark, who was acquired just days before the Cowboys opened the year against the Eagles, are viewed as two of the biggest leaders for the Dallas defense in the locker room. Are they the ones leading those discussions when they and their teammates look in the mirror?
"I would say yeah, but it's not just me and Kenny. We've got very good leaders on our team," Clark said. "A lot of veteran guys, this is not a super young defense or anything like that. We've got young guys, but I think the veterans as a whole are doing a good job of teaching that message."
And those messages aren't coming just from the players. Schottenheimer has spent an increased amount of time in the defensive meeting rooms as the season has gone along, similar to how he did before his time as a head coach when he was an offensive consultant for the Cowboys. His presence isn't one that's daunting or negative in any way.
"It's definitely beneficial having him in there," Odighizuwa said. "Being able to ask him, as someone who's been a play caller and offensive coordinator, if there's any questions that we have, whether it be players or coaches, like 'How do you see this? What is your mentality when [the defense] is calling this?' He can kind of chime in on that and help us that way."
As the Cowboys go along into Week 9 and then the back half of the season, one of the solution-oriented goals that they have is seeing more of their practice habits from throughout the week translate on the field Sundays.
"That's definitely one of those things that you've got to see that translate," Odighizuwa said. "Be confident, have faith in the work that we put in during the week, and just know that if you trust your technique, just because it doesn't go well one time, you don't stray from it, you don't make anything up. You continue to do your job to the best of your ability, it will work out eventually."
The Cowboys get an extra day to prepare this week, as the Cardinals come into town for Monday night football ahead of the bye week. Dallas will be tasked with trying to handle another dual-threat quarterback in Kyler Murray, who has not lost in AT&T Stadium in his career during high school, college and the NFL. Odighizuwa and the Cowboys plan to use their past experience against rushing quarterbacks this season, both good and bad, to prepare this week.
"Whether we did well or there's mistakes that we made, we can learn from both," Odighizuwa said. "So I'm just trying to continue to, like I said, making sure we're rushing four as one coordinated with our rush and making each other right at all times."
