We assume there is nothing personal between Dallas Cowboys new defensive coordinator Christian Parker, in his first year as a DC in the NFL, and longtime defensive coach Wink Martindale, who was last seen coordinating the defense for the Michigan Wolverines in 2025, but who has nearly two decades of NFL coaching under his belt. While Parker has had difficulty making the transition to his new job in Dallas, with the Cowboys dead last in rushing yards allowed and rated the second-worst defense in the league by Pro Football Focus, Martindale has seemed to relish taking potshots at him.
He did it last month in an appearance with Giants reporter Pat Leonard, saying of Parker on the podcast, “he’s being outclassed right now. So Jerry [Jones] can call me and I’ll go help him. But, you know, I’m talking about helping the coordinator.”
And, well, Martindale did it again this week, again with Leonard.
Cowboys’ Christian Parker ‘Behind on Play-Calling’
After the Cowboys defense allowed the team to toss away what appeared to be a sure win, holding a 24-10 lead with 10 minutes to play in the fourth quarter and the Cardinals turning to backup quarterback Gardner Minshew and running back Tyler Allgeier, plenty of Cowboys fans were calling out Parker, too. The 33-30 overtime loss at AT&T Stadium was one of the most stunning for Dallas in recent memory. The defense allowed 467 yards to Arizona, and Allgeier ran for 147 yards on just 11 carries.
But Martindale again had especially stinging comments for Parker, unusual in the coaching fraternity.
As he said: “It’s not just the worst defense in the league right now. It’s one of the worst I’ve [ever] seen. (Parker) is behind on play-calling and it’s just, I feel bad for Jerry (Jones). I told my wife, I’m starting to feel like Stephen A. Smith just killing the Cowboys, but it’s the truth.
“When you watch them, I gotta have a trash can next to me when I’m watching their defense hit the field because they’re missing too many tackles, you know, they gave up 200 yards rushing and you can see that pendulum is swinging back. It ties into all my notes, and it seems like I am taking shots, but I am not, it’s just how I see it.”
The Cowboys defense will again try to pull itself together on Sunday in Indianapolis, where Dallas will play the Colts at 1 p.m. ET.
Cowboys’ Christian Parker Again Ripped by Veteran Defensive Coach