The Dallas Cowboys had one of the worst defenses in the NFL last year, allowing the most points per game, the most passing yards per contest, and third-most total yards allowed.
Things had to change, and the team put the wheels in motion to rebuild the unit. The first step was hiring up and coming defensive coordinator Christian Parker, who has since brought his vision of the unit to life. This week’s OTAs was the initial look at Parker’s scheme on the field and count Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb as someone who’s impressed by the changes.
Parker has brought a new day to Dallas’ defense and Lamb quickly noticed the differences between last year and this year’s group. Being able to bring the scheme from the classroom to the field and frustrating one of the league’s best WRs is a good sign.
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It’s Lamb’s last few words that should be music to Cowboys’ fans ears: “just seeing different guys communicate…” because under Matt Eberflus’ defense last year, communication was a big problem and one of the reasons he was fired. Too often the unit, especially the secondary, would be standing around trying to figure out what happened after giving up a big play or score. The Cowboys’ defense was rarely on the same page last year, something Parker had to fix.
Brian Schottenheimer said he was impressed with Parker’s communication ability, which was a reason he hired a 34-year-old DC, and that appears to be paying off immediately. The head coach backed up Lamb’s sentiment saying he’s “thrilled” with Parker’s defense thus far.
It’s just OTAs, but Parker has already made a strong impression. These practices aren’t padded and lack the physicality of a real game, yet the observations are valid. Lamb went up against a different defense last year and can clearly see the changes at OTAs this season.
It also probably helps that Parker has better players than Eberflus. There will potentially be seven new starters on Dallas’ defense this season from the one they began with last year in Philadelphia. The depth and quality throughout the unit have been elevated which, coupled with Parker as DC, should produce better results.
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That’s a lot of turnover for the Cowboys’ defense and it’s a fresh start for a unit that needed an overhaul.
There will be tougher days ahead for Parker and his defense, but they’ve gotten off to a good start. Being able to implement the scheme and execute it well early on is a positive sign for the Cowboys.
Don’t expect this Cowboys’ defense to look anything like it did last year; Parker is already making an impact.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Lamb makes bold statement on first impression of Cowboys’ new defense