​Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker calls in a play during the second half of an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens at Maracanã Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News)
FRISCO — The actions from Cowboys defensive players and coaches have the look and sound of desperation.Coach Brian Schottenheimer said a three-day weekend of meetings brought solutions that will be revealed in due time for a defense that ranks last in yards allowed per play (6.4) and 31st in total yards allowed (1,977). Schottenheimer announced one possible solution Monday: Mike Pettine, former NFL defensive coordinator and Browns head coach, has been hired as a senior defensive assistant. The other possible solution was a Monday morning players-only defensive meeting at The Star.“We got to realize nobody outside of those meeting rooms, outside of this building really is going to change the outcome of the game, it’s really going to be us,” linebacker DeMarvion Overshown said. “At the end of the day, we got together this morning as a defense, looked in the mirror, we had a heart to heart with each other, and you can definitely look forward to better defensive play.”Schottenheimer said the Cowboys were seeking a veteran coach to help defensive coordinator Christian Parker. This started back in the spring when Schottenheimer noted two veteran coaches were considered for the job.The team got neither.So they kept waiting until finally convincing Pettine to work full-time again. He was on vacation in Italy and hanging out with grandkids before Schottenheimer closed the deal.The biggest thing about the Pettine hire is that Parker is OK with it.It was Pettine who gave Parker his first NFL job as a defensive quality control coach in Green Bay in 2019. Pettine is one of Parker’s OGs, so the hiring has a vibe that it will work without any issues.“It’s something we’ve been talking about for a long time,” Schottenheimer said. “I think as we looked at everything, we had a chance to convince Pet that it made sense for him. I think he’s excited about coming in and adding experience and value.”Pettine is a noted outside linebackers coach, a position he held with the Minnesota Vikings for four seasons before retiring. He’s also been a defensive coordinator for several teams, so he understands what Parker is going through.It’s those problems the players felt a need to address.The meeting Monday can be viewed as players trying to get on the same page with each other and the coaching staff. “It’s time,” linebacker Von Miller said. “Great teams are player led. It ain’t the coaches. I’ve been on teams where coaching wasn’t good. We got great coaches. It ain’t on CP.”You can question Parker’s scheme but also must be mindful of the health issues he’s had to deal with. In the first five weeks of the season, he’s lost three safeties, a cornerback, a