Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker is five games into his first season in the role, and the defense has already become the biggest concern for a team sitting at 2-3. The Cowboys are allowing 27.2 points per game, which ranks 27th in the NFL, and they sit 31st in total yards allowed at 395.4 per game.
Stopping the run has been the sore spot, with Dallas giving up a league-high 168.4 rushing yards per game. That showed last Thursday, when the previously winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers piled up 241 yards on the ground in a 24-16 win over Dallas.
Through the air, the Cowboys are also the only team in the league without an interception. Dallas has started to answer those problems, including the lack of takeaways, by adding Mike Pettine as a senior defensive assistant.
Kirby Lee - IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The experienced coach has coordinated defenses for the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills and Green Bay Packers, and he later helped Brian Flores build Minnesota into one of the league’s toughest units. The hire is only part of the picture, though.
According to Jerry Jones on 105.3 The Fan, Parker is leaving the sideline for the coaching booth. The move should give the 34-year-old a cleaner look at opposing offenses and let him react as games develop, which could matter for a group that has struggled to slow the run and get off the field.
Jones also pushed back on any suggestion that the coordinator has taken on more than he can handle in his first year with the team. He arrived in January after leaving the Philadelphia Eagles, where he helped win Super Bowl LIX.
“He’s covered a lot of ground,” Jones said, h/t Calvin Watkins.
Parker and Pettine also share a longstanding connection that predates their time in Dallas. Even though Pettine retired after last season, the veteran is the one who gave the young coach his first NFL opportunity as a quality control assistant in Green Bay in 2019.
The Cowboys visit the Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday, Oct. 18, with kickoff set for 8:20 p.m. ET.
Dallas Cowboys Essentials
- How Much Do Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Get Paid?
- Every QB Drafted by the Dallas Cowboys
- Best Quarterbacks in Dallas Cowboys History
- Best Running Backs in Dallas Cowboys History
- Best Wide Receivers in Dallas Cowboys History
- 10 Worst Draft Picks in Cowboys History
- 10 Best Draft Picks in Cowboys History
- How Much Money Does Dak Prescott Make?
- NFL’s Richest Owners: What Is Jerry Jones’ Net Worth?
More Dallas Cowboys news
- With NFC East Wide Open, Cowboys Can’t Wait to Fix Their Defense
- Cowboys QB Dak Prescott Loses Offensive Lineman After Roster Move
- Jerry Jones, Cowboys Announce Major Defensive Move After Christian Parker Comment
- Who Is Mike Pettine? Cowboys Defensive Assistant Unretires to Help the Coach He Gave a Start
