The Dallas Cowboys‘ offense put up points, but their defense gave them away. After a season of defensive collapses, owner Jerry Jones isn’t just asking for improvement; he’s demanding it, putting new DC Christian Parker on notice before the season even begins.

“One of the better that may be a stretch, a defense that could support an offense the way that we played at the level last year and get us into the playoffs and give us a chance to get good after we get in the playoffs,” Jerry Jones said (as per the X post video). “I see that defense this year. And as I told you, we don’t have to do too much to get better. We just don’t have to do much, but better would not get it done in my mind. We’ve really got to come out and be sound.”

It’s easy to see why defense is the main focus. Dallas finished last in the NFL in points allowed per game in 2025, giving up 30.1 points. The team also ended below .500 for the second straight year. That’s not good enough for a franchise with playoff expectations.

Co-owner Stephen Jones spoke about this earlier in the year and admitted the team needs a clear defensive identity.

“We’ve got to get an identity on the defensive side of the football,” co-owner Stephen Jones said on 105.3 The Fan. “I don’t think we ever established what we were as a defense. We really weren’t a team that created turnovers. We didn’t get the ball. We gave up a lot of explosive [plays]. At times, it felt like we were [stopping] the run. But we just got a lot of work to do on that side of the ball. I think everybody knows that. We’ll go all in.”

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Soon after the season ended, the Cowboys parted ways with defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and hired Christian Parker, who previously served as the passing game coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Stephen Jones recently made it clear that the team plans to be intentional about the players they bring in.

“Now we’ve got to get some good pieces on the defensive side, and we know we got a lot of work to do there,” Jones said on CBS Sports at the 2026 NFL Combine.

That work begins with a fundamental shift in philosophy under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker.

Cowboys’ defense structure under new DC Christian Parker

At the NFL Combine, new defensive coordinator Christian Parker and his staff are already reshaping the unit, starting with a fundamental schematic change. They’re shifting to a 3-4 base defense this season, Parker confirmed.

“First thing, we’re going to be multiple,” Parker said, via Schuyler Dixon of the Associated Press. “I think that whenever you form a defensive structure, it’s about the players that you have. So our core principles, we’ll be a 3-4 by nature, 4-3 spacing will be appropriate, 4-2-5 in nickel different front structures, coverages behind it. But I will say being multiple is probably the most important thing about it.”

For a franchise like Dallas, that’s a notable change. The Cowboys have run a 4-3 defense for most of their history, including during all five of their Super Bowl championships. In fact, this is the first time they’ll use a 3-4 base since 2012 under Rob Ryan, when DeMarcus Ware recorded 11.5 sacks.

Schottenheimer backed the move and explained why the 3-4 can create problems for other offenses.

“Why do you love the 3-4 as an offensive coach?” Brian Schottenheimer said, “Because you’re forcing the offense’s hand in a pass protection world, you’re making them 5-0 things and block one-on-one, and if you give us those one-on-one opportunities, it’s usually gonna be pretty good for us with the talent that we have inside.”

The success of this new 3-4 scheme will depend on how players like Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark adapt to anchoring the interior, and whether versatile athletes like Marist Liufau can create pressure from the outside linebacker spot. The talent is there, but the execution of this new vision will determine if the Cowboys can finally build a championship-caliber defense.