Cowboys news: Mike Pettine should bring change to the defense

The talk around the Dallas Cowboys after another disappointing start to the 2026 season remains rather pessimistic.

But just a few days ahead of their trip to Lambeau to take on the Green Bay Packers, most of the conversations are centered around the hiring of long-time defensive coach Mike Pettine. With a new veteran defensive coach on staff, there is some hope that the Cowboys defense can turn things around. They will get a good shot on Sunday night to prove themselves against a solid Green Bay offense coming off the best game of their season so far.

Christian Parker ‘likely’ to remain coaching on field, talks Mike Pettine hire – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com

After Jerry Jones said on 105.3 The Fan that Christian Parker would be moving to the booth, both Parker and Brian Schottenheimer denied that rumor. With Parker still likely to be on the sideline, the question now is, where will Mike Pettine be?

Earlier in the week, Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones said on 105.3 The Fan that defensive coordinator Christian Parker would be moving from the sidelines up to the coaches booth to call the defense.

As the week has gone on, it appears that may not be the case. Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said Wednesday “none of those decisions have been finalized,”  and Parker had a good chance to remain on the field. On Thursday, Parker reiterated that sentiment.

“Still working through some of that, but [I’ll] most likely going to be down [on the field] still.” Parker said on Thursday.

2 Cowboys Miss Thursday Practice, DeMarvion Overshown Progressing In New Injury Report – Josh Sanchez, SI.com

The Cowboys defense continues to be banged up, but it looks like they may get some reinforcements back in week six. After a nice showing in week five, Ameer Speed returns to the practice field in limited fashion, as well as Joey Porter Jr. While Cobie Durant is still not expected to return, the Cowboys secondary is inching towards full strength in the coming weeks.

On Thursday afternoon, the Cowboys returned to the practice field and dropped their latest injury report. On Wednesday, five players did not participate in practice, but on Thursday, that number was down to two.

The good news for Dallas is that starting linebacker DeMarvion Overshown is making progress and taking a step toward returning to the field, while veteran linebacker Von Miller also returned after a rest day and cornerback Ameer Speed was upgraded to limited.

The Cowboys’ plan to unleash first-round rookie Malachi Lawrence could mean time is running out for former All-Pro to make an impact – Mauricio Rodriguez, A to Z Sports

With Malachi Lawrence expected to see an uptick in playing time, someone’s playing time is about to take a hit. Which outside linebacker could see their role diminish with the Cowboys wanting to see more from their 2026 first-round pick?

Schottenheimer did share some of the personnel plans, though. The biggest one involves first-round rookie EDGE Malachi Lawrence, and the short version is that he is going to play more. That shouldn’t be a surprise given how Lawrence has been playing.

He got his first sack last week versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His pressure rate of 14.3% in 2026 ranks him fourth among qualified NFL rookies per PFF, behind David Bailey (16.4%), Sonny Styles (15.0%) and Cashius Howell (14.8%).

But the Cowboys’ plans to play him more raise a question I find fascinating: Where are Lawrence’s new snaps coming from?

Brian Schottenheimer OK with Cowboys’ players-only meeting panned by Mike Tomlin – ESPN.com

There has been a lot made of the report that the Cowboys defense had a “players only” meeting earlier this week. The meeting was heavily criticized by former Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin on the “New Heights” podcast, but Brian Schottenheimer seems not concerned with the meeting.

The players-only meeting recently held by the Dallas Cowboys‘ defense has become such a topic around the NFL that even Mike Tomlin weighed in with a concerned response.

But Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer is not pushing the panic button, saying that the meeting doesn’t bother him and that it “means everyone’s rowing in the same direction.”

Dallas star linebacker DeMarvion Overshown revealed Monday that the defensive players held the meeting after last week’s home loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Overshown said the players “went by bullet point, bullet point,” discussing whether they were meeting the team’s various standards.

Cowboys at Packers: Matchups to watch in Week 6 – Brian Martin, Blogging the Boys

After dropping their week five game to the 0-4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Cowboys are in a must-win scenario in week six heading to Green Bay. What are some of the key matchups the Cowboys will need to win, in order to come out with a road victory against a long-time NFC rival?

The Packers are coming off a game in which they held D’Andre Swift to just 43 yards on nine carries and only allowed Chicago to rush for a total of 81 rushing yards. They’ll be hoping to do the same this week against Javonte Williams and the Cowboys. Williams probably has other plans.

He’s been a touchdown scoring machine so far this year with six, but is currently struggling to find consistency as a runner, averaging just 3.7 yards per carry. If Williams has success on the ground, it should sway the game in Dallas’ favor.