The Dallas Cowboys are doing everything they can to fix their biggest defensive issues.
They brought Mike Pettine onto the coaching staff to help defensive coordinator Christian Parker. Dallas’s defensive players met on Monday for a players-only meeting to air some things out and get on the same page.
It remains to be seen what came out of the players-only meeting, but there have been some conversations about it from the outside. The big question is what they discussed and whether it resolved any lingering issues.
Dallas Cowboys Defender Talks Players-Only Meeting
Cowboys edge rusher Rashan Gary spoke with the media on Wednesday, where he was asked about the players only meeting. Gary opened up about what was discussed.
“Just do our job, do our 1-11th, making sure everybody’s on the same page and going throughout the week, making sure we create the right habits,” Gary said via ESPN Cowboys reporter Todd Archer. “And that’s practice-wise in terms of understanding the offensive ID, understanding the language that we’re talking for the week, understanding what we see and where they want to attack us and just all being on the same page and everybody doing their job.”
The Cowboys rank last in run defense (168.4 yards per game) and 31st in total defense (395.4 yards per game). They are also ranked 21st in pass defense (227 yards per game) and 25th in total defense (27.2 points per game).
Can Cowboys’ Players-Only Meeting Help the Defense in 2026?
Parker has a lot of work to do, with this defense in the bottom 10 in many categories. Most of the problems are with the front seven. They struggled to stop the run and have only produced five sacks in five games.
The hope is that Pettine brings in a fresh perspective from someone who has called and run defenses for decades. That experience will only help Parker become a better play caller and coordinator.
Much of this also depends on how the players respond to the call. They need to step up and help their young play caller by playing at a higher level than they are now.
Dallas’ offense is very good, but it cannot carry a bottom-five defense to the playoffs. If the defense improves even a little and gets close to the middle of the pack, it can win the NFC East.
The next few weeks will be big for the Cowboys coaches and players on defense, with jobs on the line. If they can’t improve, there will be even bigger changes, and it won’t go well for many of the people there.
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