New Dallas Cowboys defensive Coordinator Christian Parker brings a fresh new look to the Cowboys defense. Something retread Matt Eberflus did not, even though the optimism was high before the season started.
A coach as well respected by players as Christian Parker should come in and completely change the culture of a defense that looked outmatched every game. Which led to a lack of confidence and that is never beneficial.
The Eberflus-led defense was record-setting in a bad way and most of this record was caused by coverages the players did not fit or were not taught well enough to accomplish.
And the reason it didn’t work becomes obvious the moment you compare it to what Christian Parker was part of in Philadelphia.
What Drove Me Crazy Every Sunday
I lost count of how many times I watched the same thing happen.
Third and medium and the defense lines up. The quarterback takes one look, hits the top of his drop back and lets it rip. No hitch, panic, or second thought.
That’s not bad luck or execution issues. What it was, was a defense showing its hand before the ball was snapped.
Dallas had some variety, but it was honest variety. Safeties lined up where they were going, corners showed leverage early. There was no mystery, hesitation, and no second guessing.
In today’s NFL, that’s how you get carved up, and the Cowboys made every quarterback they play look like Hall of Fame quarterbacks.
Watching Philadelphia Made It Obvious
Then you watch Philadelphia, and it’s impossible to miss.
Safeties move late, corners hide leverage, Cover-3 doesn’t look like Cover-3 until after the snap, and Quarters actually attacked routes instead of drifting backwards.
Quarterbacks had a hesitation to determine the coverage just long enough for the rush to get home.
That’s what Christian Parker learned in Philadelphia, not new coverages, but how to hide the ones they already ran.
The Numbers Match the Eye Test
This isn’t just frustration talking. The stats line up exactly with what we watched last season.
- 19.1 points allowed per game
- 189.8 passing yards allowed per game
That’s a defense forcing quarterbacks to earn everything.
- 30.1 points allowed per game
- 251.5 passing yards allowed per game
Same league, pretty much the same coverage concepts, completely different results.
Philadelphia and Christian Parker’s secondary made quarterbacks think. While the Dallas defense let them play catch with their receivers.
Where Dallas Really Broke Down
I found that Cover-3 is what the Dallas Cowboys ran 31% of the time last season.
They basically lived there. It was the backbone of their defense, and Cover-3 isn’t bad coverage. Plenty of good defenses have this installed, but the problem is how Dallas ran it.
Everything was shown before the snap.
Corners bailed immediately, the post safety stayed glued to the middle, hook defenders drifted instead of matching routes.
Quarterbacks did not have to think about where they were throwing it or worry about a defender being an area they already knew where the voids were.
How many games did you watch the same throw work over and over?
Cover-3 only works when you make the offense uncomfortable. The quarterback has to hesitate because he’s not sure if that middle safety is going to rotate, or if the seam is going to get carried.
Dallas never forced hesitation.
Philadelphia and Christan Parker did.
They also ran Cover-3, but it didn’t look the same.
Safeties would rotate late, seam routes were matched, not passed off, and corners didn’t just retreat; they squeezed windows.
Dallas turned Cover-3 into a static zone, and Philadelphia turned it into a moving picture.
And I think that is why Christian Parker will transform this defense. The tweaks to the secondary will allow the pass rush to get to the quarterback.
Easy Defense, Easy Completions
I feel that Matt Eberflus didn’t fail because the scheme was outdated. He failed because the defense was too honest.
Christian Parker runs many of the same coverages, but hides, layers, and trusts his secondary to execute the plays the right way.
If you are wondering, these reasons are why one defense gave up under 20 points and 190 passing yards, while the other gave up 30 points and more than 250 through the air.
As a Cowboys fan, I over watching quarterbacks walk to the line already knowing where they are going with the ball.
I want a defense that makes them think.
Was this helpful?
