Making a midseason addition to your coaching staff is generally a sign that things are spiraling out of control. And for the Dallas Cowboys, they absolutely were early in the season. Disconnected wouldn't even begin to describe the state of the defense in Christian Parker's introduction to calling plays.
It's easy to understand why the Cowboys were laughed at when they hired longtime NFL coach Mike Pettine as a senior assistant on October 12, following the 24-16 loss to the Buccaneers in which the defense allowed 419 yards to undrafted rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels.
The defense certainly has not been perfect since then, but Pettine's impact one month into his unexpected NFL reemergence has been undeniable.
The Cowboys had five sacks in five games before Pettine's arrival. An unsustainable number. They are now up to 17 sacks on the season, meaning they've recorded 12 in the last four games (h/t Nick Eatman, DallasCowboy.com).
Pettine is well-regarded for his defensive front expertise, particularly for his pressure packages and blitz design. The proof is in the pudding, folks. But his impact extends beyond quarterback takedowns.
Cowboys looking increasingly smart for bringing in Mike Pettine
Here's a look at the where Dallas ranked in prominent defensive metrics from Weeks 1 to 5 (data via RBSDM):
Is ranking dead last in three separate categories good?
Everything looked broken. The second level struggled to communicate. Pre-snap confusion. Poor gap discipline. Players taking bad angles to the ball. Linebackers getting swallowed up by climbing offensive linemen.
And when the defensive front collapsed the pocket, the Cowboys struggled to finish plays. There was zero cohesion between the first and second levels of the defense.
The last four games, though, have offered legitimate signs of progress, even if the group hasn't fully turned the corner.
The run defense numbers are skewed by a couple of explosive plays (thank you, Tyler Allgeier), but those count all the same. The progress against the pass, however, is undeniable. And it's easy to connect that to the defense's newfound ability to generate pressure and disrupt quarterbacks' rhythm since Pettine's arrival.
We're seeing more mug looks, simulated pressures and pre-snap disguises that are forcing quarterbacks and offensive lines to do more processing. The Cowboys are no longer as reliant on their front four winning individual matchups to generate pressure.
They're scheming up favorable matchups and keeping quarterbacks guessing as to where the pressure is coming from. At long last, they're pushing the easy buttons.
As the defense's architect and play-caller, Christian Parker deserves plenty of credit for these adjustments. But it's hard to believe their timing is a coincidence.
Of course, context can't be ignored, either.
The Packers dropped multiple touchdowns in Week 6, and the Cowboys could have easily surrendered 40 points in that game. They also faced an Eagles offense without its starting quarterback and No. 1 wide receiver, while the Colts' Daniel Jones has played like a bottom-five quarterback this season.
All of that matters. But this is also the same defense that got carved up by Jalon Daniels, who struggled to complete passes against the Packers a week earlier. The fact that Dallas rendered Indianapolis' offense virtually helpless for 50 minutes is a sign of progress, regardless of the opponent.
This defense wasn't taking advantage of favorable matchups earlier in the season. There are still cracks in the foundation, but now it's starting to look like an NFL defense.
The Cowboys have resembled an NFL defense since Mike Pettine joined
What initially looked like a desperation move by the Cowboys is starting to look like one of their savviest decisions of the season. Pettine hasn't fixed everything that ails this defense, but his arrival has coincided with a unit that is playing with more cohesion, creativity and confidence.
Perhaps more importantly, Parker is starting to get more out of his personnel. The Cowboys have too much talent on the defensive side of the ball to be among the league's worst defenses, and it's becoming increasingly clear that the personnel was never the biggest problem.
Having a seasoned defensive mind like Pettine to bounce ideas off has helped Parker find some answers. The 34-year-old now needs to build on that progress and be more aggressive rather than sit back and let opposing offenses dictate the terms of engagement.
Blitz Caleb Downs more than once a game. Bring more pressure so your injured secondary doesn't have to hold up in coverage. No more of this bend, don't break approach.
There's still plenty of work to be done, but these strides are a pretty significant development for a coaching hire that was met with so much ridicule just four weeks ago, even if the criticism had more to do with the organization and Parker's awful start than Pettine himself.
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