After a disastrous showing on the defensive side of the ball last fall, the Dallas Cowboys elected to hire a new defensive coordinator to take over for the fired Matt Eberflus. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer and the Cowboys brass chose Christian Parker, the defensive backs coach for the Philadelphia Eagles, a division rival, to lead the defensive overhaul. So far, that plan has not worked out. In an effort to solve the defensive woes, longtime NFL defensive coordinator Mike Pettine was brought aboard as a new assistant. Yet, NFL insider Ed Werder shared some words of caution for Parker via X, formerly Twitter.

“They finally hired a real coach,” one head coach told Werder. “Pettine is legit. Dallas will walk away with that division now.”

Currently tied with the Eagles for second in the division, a game and a half behind the New York Giants for first, there's still plenty of time for the Cowboys to make up ground. While their Thursday Night loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was a setback, Dallas has no time to dwell on the defeat. Back-to-back road trips up north to face the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia await. Both of those games are also in prime time, so the microscope will really be on Parker's defense.

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Pettine brings a wealth of experience to Parker's staff. A former defensive coordinator of the Packers, New York Jets and Buffalo Bills, Pettine also served as head coach of the Cleveland Browns for two seasons. Although Parker initially tried to hire him back in January, Pettine was fresh into retirement. However, with the Dallas defense floundering, bringing in an experienced defensive play caller like Pettine should only help the unit. If Parker and Pettine can work together to get the Cowboys' defenders back on track, a path towards an NFC East title and playoff berth should be within reach.