Expect the Dallas Cowboys to look a little different for the Week 6 game against the Green Bay Packers.
If there is any team in the NFL that could use some adjustments, it's no doubt the Cowboys, who have been putrid on defense this season to the tune of having one of the worst units in the NFL.
That wasn't supposed to happen, though. The Cowboys decided to completely overhaul the defense this past offseason after a league-worst showing in 2025, but that hasn't worked thus far.
On Monday, head coach Brian Schottenheimer told reporters that some much-needed change is coming to the roster. What that change looks like remains to be seen, though.
"I’m not going to get to a bunch of them. Obviously, there’s a competitive advantage. But there’ll be some roster adjustments you guys will see. Some will be more noticeable than others, and some will be subtle as you look at it," Schottenheimer said, per Tommy Yarrish of DallasCowboys.com.
The process of figuring things out
In the wake of the dreadful loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 5, the Cowboys had meetings to go over what has been going wrong over their 2-3 start, and how to fix it.
"It was a very beneficial weekend, I’ll say," Schotty said. "A lot of long hours spent, a lot of long conversations, a lot of deep dives where you’re looking at everything from all three units. Came away with a lot of what we would say [are] really good solutions and ideas, and now it’s about implementing. That began today."
Owner Jerry Jones didn't mince words about the Cowboys' need to look in the mirror after what the team has put on tape this season.
"I don't mind this morning pouring salt in the wound, because that's the constructive thing to do," Jones said. "That's what I've been doing this morning and that's what I'll do all day today. We'll continue to be doing it: giving ourself the roughin' up you have to do when you're performing like this."
While we're skeptical the Cowboys will be able to figure things out on defense, it's at least good to see the team is working hard to accomplish the tall task.
What changes could Cowboys make?
Schottenheimer didn't go into specifics, so we'll have to wait and see what the team is going to do, but we have some ideas for the defense.
As we laid out in a separate article, the Cowboys should do some or all of the following:
1. Bench DaRon Bland
2. Play Von Miller less
3. More slot for Caleb Downs
4. More blitzing
The first one is easy. Bland has been a total liability in Dallas' secondary this season and shouldn't have the role he has.
Miller hasn't produced a single sack and has just six pressures over five games, but what was more glaring in Week 5 was his ability to set the edge and stop the run. We'd like to see more Malachi Lawrence instead.
Downs has been forced to play more safety because of injuries at the position, but the Cowboys need to move him back into the slot and put someone else at safety. Downs can probably make a bigger impact closer to the line of scrimmage.
Last but not least, the Cowboys are blitzing at a 24.4% clip, which is the 12th-lowest in the NFL. It's pretty clear dropping more guys into coverage isn't helping, so Dallas needs to generate more pressures and sacks to help the secondary out.
More help for Christian Parker
The Cowboys have at least recognized they have a problem with Christian Parker, even though they won't outwardly admit that.
On Monday, the Cowboys announced they have hired former head coach of the Cleveland Browns and former defensive coordinator of the Packers, Mike Pettine, as a senior defensive assistant.
"Had a chance to work with Pettine for a number of years, along with the Jets, and he's gonna be here in a role to support everything that [Christian Parker] is leading and guiding, and we are really, really excited," Schottenheimer said.
Pettine and Parker are already familiar with one another, so that will make things a lot less uncomfortable. Parker was a quality control coach with the Packers while Pettine was the team's defensive coordinator from 2018-20.
In Pettine, the Cowboys get somebody who has a wealth of NFL experience on the defensive side of the ball and that should be greatly beneficial for the rookie play-caller, who will now have another set of ideas to help get the defense on the right track.
Of course, there is no guarantee Pettine will make a dent, but at least the Cowboys are trying to do things differently. That's about all we can ask for right now.
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