The Dallas Cowboys have a new defensive coordinator, as it was announced Thursday that former Eagles defensive backs coach Christian Parker will be joining the staff. Parker’s name has been circulating as a potential defensive coordinator hire in recent weeks, as his reputation and track record have generated a lot of interest within the league. He’s been a coach at the NFL level for the last seven years, and looking back at the times he’s crossed paths with the Cowboys reveals that he made quite
the impression.
Green Bay Packers (2019-2020), defensive quality control coach
When Matt LaFleur replaced Mike McCarthy in Green Bay, Parker joined his staff, working under defensive coordinator Mike Pettine. The Packers saw an immediate improvement in defense as they finished inside the top 10 in points allowed for the first time since their Super Bowl-winning season in 2010.
In his two seasons with the Packers, only once did he face the Cowboys, and it came in Week 5 in 2019. The Cowboys started the season 3-0, scoring 30+ points in each game. It was Kellen Moore’s first year as offensive coordinator, and he helped the team lead the league in yards that year. But against the Packers, the offense struggled. The Cowboys didn’t score until midway through the third quarter after falling into a 24-0 hole. Dak Prescott was picked off three times. Against a good Cowboys offense, Parker and the Packers coaching staff had their number.
Denver Broncos (2021-2023), defensive backs coach
Parker joined the Broncos coaching staff in 2021, where he worked under then-head coach Vic Fangio as his defensive backs coach. In his first year with Denver, he helped the defense go from 25th in points allowed to third.
In his three years with the Broncos, he faced the Cowboys one time, and that was in Week 9 of 2021. The Cowboys were riding high with a six-game winning streak, but the Broncos showed up and smacked them in the face. There are many things fans remember about that game. Some recall that a rookie running back, Javonte Williams, ran all over the Cowboys’ defense. Others might remember that weird blocked punt by Malik Turner that rookie corner Nahshon Wright tried to pick up, but muffed it, and because he was beyond the line of scrimmage, the Broncos got a fresh set of downs. Everything about that game was bad.
The most memorable thing about that game was how Fangio had shown the “blueprint” to stop the high-powered Cowboys offense. Blueprint or not, Fangio’s defensive staff shut them down. With Parker’s help, Denver shut the Cowboys out and led 30-0 with less than five minutes left in the game. Dallas did finally score two garbage-time touchdowns to make the final score a little more respectable at 30-16, but those of us who watched the game saw the Broncos absolutely crush the Cowboys on that day, largely thanks to a dominant defense.
Philadelphia Eagles (2024-2025), passing game coordinator
Fangio left Denver, but Parker was retained when Sean Payton was hired in 2023, joining defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. However, when Fangio joined the Eagles’ coaching staff to become their new defensive coordinator, Parker was poached and named the Eagles’ new passing game coordinator. The Eagles went from allowing the third-most points in 2023 to allowing the second-fewest points in 2024, en route to a Super Bowl victory that was largely predicated on a stifling defense.
Now being in the NFC East, Parker faced the Cowboys four times in two years. And each time, his defense left a mark. In 2024, both games were without Prescott, so not surprisingly, the Cowboys lost. But they didn’t just lose, they got spanked. In the first game in 2024, the Cowboys’ offense never scored a touchdown and lost 34-6. It didn’t get much better the second time around. In the second matchup, the Cowboys were shut out for three quarters and lost 41-7.
This past season, both games were close, but they featured stints where the Cowboys’ offense struggled. In the season opener, the Cowboys’ offense played well in the first half, but the Eagles made adjustments, and the Dallas offense was shut out in the second half, and lost 24-20. In the second game, Parker would suffer his first loss in six tries against the Cowboys, but it almost didn’t happen. Dallas fell behind 21-0 late in the first half. Fortunately, the Eagles’ offense did nothing in the second half and turned the ball over twice in the fourth quarter, opening the door for the Cowboys to pull off the epic comeback.
When you look at all of these games, most of them were utter dominance by Parker and the defensive coaching staff. Obviously, many factors play into this, but the Cowboys’ new defensive coordinator has had his hand in some embarrassing losses. Having him working for them rather than against them will be a nice change, especially when you add on the bonus of pulling him away from the Eagles. Hopefully, he will have some similar dominating showings against his former team.
