Christian Parker’s debut as the latest new defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys was so bad it made people pine for the days of Mike Nolan, or Rob Ryan.
Because Monte Kiffin ain’t walkin’ through that door; RIP coach.
The second viewing of the Cowboys’ loss against the New York Giants on Sunday night in New Jersey was worse than the first, which was the equivalent of a Broadway show that would be closed after its opener.
Former Seattle Seahawks and 11-year NFL veteran Richard Sherman, not exactly known to be soft with his thoughts and feelings about anything, unleashed on the Cowboys defense.
Sherman joined fellow Amazon Prime NFL analysts and fellow NFL retirees Andrew Whitworth and Ryan Fitzpatrick on a conference call with reporters. I asked Sherman if he saw any reason to be optimistic about the Cowboys defense, or if this is a unit that, despite the offseason changes, is the same as last season.
“It’s disappointing because they look almost worse,” Sherman said Monday afternoon.
His first thought was a general blanket-statement. It is Sherman’s specifics that are more troubling.
Richard Sherman blasts the Dallas Cowboys
Sherman is no different from most people who follow the NFL, and the Cowboys; he is well aware of the changes this team made, starting with the first round draft selection of Ohio State safety Caleb Downs.
Sherman said, “You would have thought Caleb Downs, with how much noise was coming out of training camp, about this being his defense and how much he’s making a difference, (the Giants) took (receiver) Isaiah Likely and said, ‘Hey, we’re just going to attack this kid; if this is the head of the snake, we’re going to cut the head off the snake and show you guys that your best player doesn’t matter, and we don’t care.”
There is no way to take that as anything other than kill shots at Downs, at the coaching staff, and specifically Parker for a lack of adjustments to what the Giants wanted to do from kickoff.
Whitworth and Sherman made a point to call out what they felt was widespread “lazy coordinating” on the part of coaches all over the NFL in a Week 1 where offenses made history in scoring.
“(The Giants) controlled the game from start to finish. You didn’t hear about (defensive tackles) Quinnen Williams or Kenny Clark, and all these guys that should be guys that have been guys,” Sherman said. “Quinnen Williams has been an All-Pro in this league. You didn’t hear (defensive back) Daron Bland. It was like (the Giants) negated him. Everybody’s talking about the play that (the Giants) ran four times in a row. At some point, adjustments need to be made by the coaches, and if they’re not made by the coaches as a player, that is a pro, you see things.
“You see, ‘Hey, repeat plays,’ you need to adjust. The disappointing part is nobody did. Coaches didn’t adjust. The players didn’t adjust, and they got beat by a very simple scheme.”
First-year Giants head coach John Harbaugh was in Baltimore for the last 18 years; the tape available on him could wallpaper the Pentagon. What he does, with these types of Giants players, is not complicated; they crushed the Cowboys.
Cowboys’ ‘historic’ evening on defense
The Cowboys offense had the ball twice in the second half, both drives ended in touchdowns.
Find the stat, and it was embarrassing. Not that much different than last year, when the only reason the Cowboys defense was not the worst in the NFL was the “play” of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Against the Giants, the Cowboys’ offense had the ball for a total of 23 minutes and 20 seconds. The defense allowed the Giants to convert 9 of 11 third downs. The Giants ran for 165 yards and averaged 4.5 yards per rush.
“When is the last time you heard of a team having a ball twice in the whole half of football?” Sherman asked.
There is the famous 2009 game between the Dolphins and Peyton Manning-Colts where Indianapolis had the ball for a total of 14 minutes and 53 seconds, and won. The Colts had three second-half possessions: One punt, and two touchdowns.
It’s just Week 1, but the improvement the Cowboys’ sought after such a terrible year on defense was non-existent. They were manhandled by the Giants.
“You just see some of these defenses, that we have all this excitement about, that it really comes down to in the game, in the moment, ‘Can you make the adjustments? Can you find a way to put your players in the best position to win?’ Whitworth said.
“This league, more than ever, is coach-led right now. And there’s a lot of pressure to be able to adapt and put your team in a position for the players to have the most success.”
Parker’s first game as the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator did none of the above, and it was so bad it made people pine for Mike Nolan.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Mac Engel is an award-winning columnist who has covered sports since the dawn of man; Cowboys, TCU, Stars, Rangers, Mavericks, etc. Olympics. Movies. Concerts. Books. He combines dry wit with 1st-person reporting to complement an annoying personality.
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