As the 2026 NFL season nears, the Dallas Cowboys have one major question: Did they do enough to improve their defense?
Everyone knows that Dallas has one of the best offenses in the league, but the team also had one of the worst defenses in the NFL last season. That’s the simple reason why the team was just 7-9-1 in 2025, missing the playoffs for the second straight campaign.
That’s also why the Cowboys worked hard to add to the defense this offseason. From trades to free agency to the draft to new DC Christian Parker, Dallas expects to put a more talented unit on the field this upcoming season. The question, though, is whether the new pieces can quickly gel together.
Can a team really go from a bad unit to a good one in just one offseason? The answer is yes, and Dallas knows that after watching its division rivals do it recently.
Cowboys hoping to follow NFC East trend of quick defensive turnarounds
During the 2023 season, the Washington Commanders and the Philadelphia Eagles, two of Dallas' bitter NFC East rivals, had two of the worst defenses in the NFL.
Washington allowed 388.9 yards per game (last in the league) and 30.5 points per game (also 32nd). The Eagles gave up an average of 356.1 yards (26th) and 25.2 points per game (30th). That's about where the Cowboys were last fall.
After the season, though, both teams made coaching changes to the defensive staff and added new players to the lineup. The result was immediate improvement.
The Commanders' numbers went down to 327.9 yards per game (13th) and 23 points per game (18th). Philadelphia became the league’s top defense, allowing just 278.4 yards per game (1st) and 17.8 points per game (2nd).
With their defenses significantly improved, the two teams met in the NFC Championship, and the Eagles came out victorious. Philadelphia, of course, went on to win the Super Bowl.
The Cowboys would love to have a similar fate. This past season, the team gave up 377 yards per game, ranking them 30th in the league. Dallas also allowed 30.1 points per game, the worst mark in the NFL.
The Cowboys have since hired Parker as defensive coordinator and added new talented players like Caleb Downs. Now, the defense will try to quickly turn things around and make the Cowboys a contender, just as their NFC East foes did two years ago.
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