IRVING, Texas — The fact Monte Kiffin was standing outside the Cowboys’ locker room Wednesday and answering questions from the media qualified as a bit of an upset.
Speculation both locally and around the NFL had been rampant the 73-year-old defensive coordinator might not be around following the bye week after Kiffin’s unit — already on pace to set the franchise record for yards allowed — was abused and humiliated in a 49-17 road loss to the Saints.
Not only did Dallas give up a staggering 625 yards and an NFL-record 40 first downs in that game, but Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told reporters in the locker room afterward his decision to replace Rob Ryan with Kiffin “doesn’t look good right now.”
But Jones’ words didn’t result in Kiffin joining his coaching son Lane on the 2013 midseason unemployment line, so Monte will be running the Cowboys’ 32nd-ranked defense as usual Sunday when they face the streaking Giants at MetLife Stadium.
The plain-speaking Kiffin offered no excuses during a brief post-practice interview session Wednesday.
“There’s no [such] thing as magic,” Kiffin said. “We’ve just got to do a better job. We’ve all got to do a better job.”
Jones and the Cowboys certainly can’t say they were sold a bill of goods with Kiffin when Jones made the surprise decision to bring him out of NFL retirement last spring to replace Rex Ryan’s twin brother.
Kiffin’s defenses with the Buccaneers until he stepped down after the 2008 season were known for rushing the passer, forcing turnovers and — because his standard coverage is zone — giving up a lot of yards.
The Cowboys have totaled 24 sacks in 10 games despite an injury-ravaged defensive line and already have forced 22 turnovers (six more than Ryan’s defense managed all of last season), but all Dallas has to show for the resulting plus-11 turnover margin is a 5-5 record.
That’s because all of the sacks and turnovers can’t make up for the massive amounts of yardage and points the Cowboys give up on a weekly basis.
Consider this: The Saints’ 625 yards weren’t an aberration, considering Detroit had rolled up 623 yards against Dallas just two weeks earlier in a crushing, 31-30 Cowboys loss on the road.
Not only that, but Kiffin’s defense has been torched for at least 400 yards in six of the Cowboys’ first 10 games, including 506 yards to the Chargers and 517 yards to the Broncos in addition to the two games of 600-plus yards.
Even the Giants got into the act. The 478 yards Big Blue rolled up against the Cowboys in Week 1 are still the season high for the Giants, who were undone in a 36-31 loss that night by a nightmarish six turnovers.
To be fair to Kiffin, the Cowboys defense has been ravaged by injuries to key starters this season. Defensive end Anthony Spencer played just one game before going on injured reserve, Pro Bowl pass rusher DeMarcus Ware missed three games with various woes and — worst of all — do-everything linebacker Sean Lee will be sidelined until early December by a hamstring strain.
But Kiffin’s “Tampa 2” scheme is an issue, too. The evidence points to zone coverage being obsolete in the NFL in light of all the pass-happy offenses using four- and even five-receiver sets, and it’s been especially ill-fitting for young, physical cornerbacks such as the Cowboys’ Morris Claiborne.
Kiffin’s players refuse to blame the coach’s philosophy, though, saying it’s been a matter of poor performance.
“We’re 5-5, and it’s not good enough,” said nickel corner Orlando Scandrick, who will draw the coverage assignment Sunday against Victor Cruz. “We need to figure out a way to win games.”