After finishing out the 2025 season with arguably the worst defense in the NFL, the Dallas Cowboys made a change at defensive coordinator, replacing Matt Eberflus with former Philadelphia Eagles defensive backs coach Christian Parker.

On paper, this looked like an incredible option, as Parker can come up through the Vic Fangio system, and Jerry Jones loaded up his cupboard with quality defensive additions like Rashan Gary, Jalen Thompson and Caleb Downs.

But so far? The Cowboys defense really hasn't lived up to expectations, with Parker's unit allowing 48 points and 783 yards through two weeks against a pair of NFC East teams who aren't exactly expected to be competing for the Super Bowl at season's end.

Discussing Parker's defense on 105.3 The Fan, Stephen Jones defended his new defensive coordinator, noting that he's the right kind of person to get Dallas where they want to be, his players just need to execute better.

“Certainly, we’re nowhere near to what our expectations are for the defensive side of the ball. We know we got a lot of wood to chop. I said it last week, we were probably pretty optimistic about how fast this thing is gonna come, but at the same time, you see the pieces out there,” Jones said via Jon Machota.

“I see the right kind of guys, the football character, that this team will just get better week to week. … There are things we’re seeing that we really like, but we also know that we got a long ways to go.”

With five straight games against 2025 playoff teams on the schedule next in the Baltimore Ravens, the Houston Texans, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Green Bay Packers, and Parker's old Eagles, the Cowboys' defense will be facing a real trial by fire against some of the best squads the NFL has to offer. If they continue to be a below-average unit, it's hard to imagine Dallas winning many of those contests regardless of how their offense plays.