CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Cowboys just lost to the worst starting quarterback in the NFL.

Let that one sink in. Sure, there might not be many quarterbacks in the league playing better than Dak Prescott. Heading into this game, there weren’t many playing worse than Bryce Young.

And yet, the Cowboys are walking out of Bank of America Stadium on the wrong end of a 30-27 last-second finish.

We’ve seen Russell Wilson, who is no longer starting for the Giants, play his best game in several years. Caleb Williams had a career day against the Cowboys, while Jalen Hurts and Jordan Love basically did whatever they needed to. Even Justin Fields put up solid numbers, especially in the end.

But letting Bryce Young beat you just makes no sense.

The Panthers were coming off a 200-yard rushing game from Rico Dowdle, who even told us all to “buckle up.” But Young had the lowest QB rating of any starter in the league at 79.9. He was averaging just over 5.0 yards a completion. So everyone knew what the Panthers were going to try to do to beat the Cowboys. And guess what? They did it, and the Cowboys had no answers.

That’s the part that boggles me. We saw the game plan right from the start. Dowdle was gashing them for at least 8-10 yards on the opening drive. For the most part, that never really changed.

And neither did the Cowboys defense. I guess I just don’t understand the lack of adjustments, but I know this – at the end of games, when most teams are trying to run out the clock, it’s nearly impossible if a team stacks the line of scrimmage.

I’m not saying the Cowboys should’ve played a “goal-line” defense the entire game, but with a quarterback who doesn’t throw it down the field and isn’t very accurate, wouldn’t you want HIM to be the guy to beat you? Not the guy who is coming off a 200-yard game and looking for revenge.

It’s been six games, and it’s time for a change on defense. Big or small, something has to be fixed.

After the game, head coach Brian Schottenheimer was asked multiple times about defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and if he’s the right guy for the job. And after he said he was, he was then asked if the scheme is the right fit for these players. Again, Schotty supported his guys and his coaches.

Immediately following a last-second loss is never the time to really point fingers. You haven’t watched the film yet, the emotions are high and it’s still unclear just what the heck really happened.

But even Schotty knows something has to change.

I know fans and media are making the “easy” call and saying it’s time to replace Eberflus. Without knowing what that really entails, it’s just what people would call the quick fix.
Before that happens, I think the scheme has to be altered here. Check that, forget altered, but seriously changed.

If you’re going to pay two cornerbacks north of $20 million per season, do you really need to play so much zone defense? Every year when you’re watching the NFL Draft and they start analyzing the best corners – the ones drafted high that are considered elite – it’s rare that they’re touted for their massive zone-coverage skills.

Sure, you want them to understand how to play the ball and sometimes bait the receiver. But more often than not, the best corners are the best because they can cover. And we’ve seen both Diggs and Bland play exceptional 1-on-1 defense. So in a game like this, where it’s clear the Panthers just want to lean on the run and try to keep Young out of bad situations, it’s amazing how the Cowboys just couldn’t make that happen.

And the Cowboys have a lot of issues on this defense, more than just the corners playing zone and the defensive tackles getting gashed. It’s also the safeties. They’re being asked to cover too many times when it’s not their game. Let’s be honest, both Donovan Wilson and Markquese Bell are probably closer to being linebackers than corners. My point is that there is too much coverage being asked of them, especially in the red zone.

The linebackers are not filling the gaps fast enough in the running game as well. And the ends are getting blown off the ball too many times and not the setting the edge.

Hmm, sounds like we’ve got a lot of problems here. Is it scheme, personnel, lack of playmakers, lack of size, lack of toughness? Well, if it’s all then it’s going to be a super-long season.

This is not a knock on Young, but he’s just at the bottom of starting quarterbacks in the league. If you can’t beat him in a game like this, then something has to be done.

After six games, I don’t know if this defense needs the biggest change, but it needs something. The Cowboys lost to a team that nearly had a 200-yard rusher and nearly a 200-yard passer. Make that make sense.

Right now, it doesn’t make a lot of sense. And when that happens, it usually signals some kind of change.