Inside The Star
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.
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.
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.
This isn’t just frustration talking. The stats line up exactly with what we watched last season.
That’s a defense forcing quarterbacks to earn everything.
Same league, pretty much the same coverage concepts, completely different results.
With Christian Parker hired to be the #Cowboys' defensive coordinator, here is PHI's coverage diet from last season. pic.twitter.com/HlRvCb5YZY
— John Owning (@JohnOwning) January 22, 2026
Philadelphia and Christian Parker’s secondary made quarterbacks think. While the Dallas defense let them play catch with their receivers.
I found that Cover-3 is what the Dallas Cowboys ran 31% of the time last season.
Here's DAL under Flus for comparison's sake pic.twitter.com/hNpLargQVc
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