3x Super Bowl Champion Rips Cowboys for Failing to Prepare for Defensive Problems

Earlier this week, the Dallas Cowboys decided it was time to make some changes to their defensive staff. After seeing their defense get torched by undrafted free agent quarterback Jalon Daniels in Week 5, the Cowboys decided defensive coordinator Christian Parker needed help and they brought in Mike Pettine as their new senior defensive analyst.

That hire makes plenty of sense, considering not only Parker's lack of experience, but that of his staff as well. Pettine gives Parker someone to lean on, but as Teddy Bruschi says, Dallas waited far too long to make a move.

According to the three-time Super Bowl champion, winning teams anticipate for these problems whereas the Cowboys wait until a concern becomes dire before making a move. He also said that their approach has him believing their season isn't salvageable due to these defensive problems.

"The only positive is that it's still early in the season. Part of me wants to say no. This isn't salvageable from the things that I've seen from Week 1 to Week 6. But, The Dallas Cowboys are the most reactive, reactive organization there is. I mean, they see a problem, they react. The best organizations are proactive, okay? They see the problems," Bruschi said.

"How they didn't see the problem of hiring Christian Parker with that entire staff is beyond me. He is 34 years old, and he has the most NFL coaching experience than anyone on staff. Okay, so now it's like, oh, man, he has no one to lean on defensively. There isn't a Rex Ryan in there. So now they bring a Mike Pettine in there, which is great. But this is after all the problems. I don't know how he fixes any of these problems."

Should Cowboys have hired defensive assistant before regular season?

Bruschi's comments are fair and there's one high-profile team that gives credence to his claims. The Buffalo Bills also hired a rookie defensive coordinator this offseason, going with Jim Leonhard. The former Wisconsin defensive coordinator was also a finalist in Dallas, and while he had experience running a defense in the NCAA, this was his first time doing so in the NFL.

Leonhard being in his first season isn't the only similarity to the coaching staff in Dallas. He's also working for a young head coach in Joe Brady, who like Brian Schottenheimer is the play-caller on offense. Knowing Leonhard wouldn't be able to lean on Brady for defensive guidance, the Bills hired former NFL head coach John Fox as a senior assistant.

Buffalo has had its share of struggles during Leonhard's first season, but there's far more hope things can turn around there than in Dallas. One reason for that is the fact that their defense has shown progress throughout the season, which could be due to the fact that Leonhard has the help he needs.

Perhaps the Cowboys will have that now in Pettine, but it would have been far more beneficial to have that before Week 6.

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