After a rough 2-3 start, the Dallas Cowboys knew something had to change. Instead of going out and grabbing another player, they went with coach Mike Pettine.
Pettine is a highly decorated defensive coordinator with 24 years of NFL coaching experience. In eight years as a defensive coordinator, he has posted six top-10 defenses in overall yards allowed.
Pettine has shown he can get it done at the highest level. Can he be the one who fixes this Dallas defense?
Looking deeper into this hire, it makes a lot more sense. Pettine has coached with both Cowboys coaches Brian Schottenheimer and Christian Parker.
Schottenheimer and Pettine were the New York Jets’ offensive and defensive coordinators from 2009-2011. Pettine also gave Parker his first big break in the NFL by bringing him in as the defensive quality control coach in 2019.
Parker, an extremely young defensive coordinator, has faced heavy fan backlash as his defense has seen very limited success. Parker knows Pettine, and Pettine knows Parker. His assistance could be the move needed to fix this lackluster defense.
Mike Pettine’s Scheme
Pettine brings over a blitz-heavy scheme from past jobs, often utilizing a double-mug nickel package, where both linebackers are lined up in the A-gap on either side of the center.
In the past, Pettine has run a very aggressive defensive style, often relying on man blitzes to get the job done.
This is exactly what he did as the Jets’ defensive coordinator from 2009-2012. In each of those four seasons, the Jets had one of the best defenses in the NFL.
While the Jets didn’t have the most effective front seven, they had perennial lockdown corner Darrelle Revis to pick up the slack.
Now look at this Cowboys roster: not the best front seven, but just like the Jets, they have their own Darrelle Revis in Joey Porter Jr., one of the best man-coverage cornerbacks in the NFL. In two games with Dallas, Porter has yet to give up a reception.
Pettine’s First Game
Despite another loss, the defense showed significant progress from the first game, posting its best statistical finish all year.
Dallas’ defense finished with three sacks, seven tackles for loss, eight pass deflections, and nine quarterback hits, along with Dee Winters securing his first interception of the season.
While Christian Parker remains the defensive coordinator and primary play caller in Dallas, Pettine brings experience and another set of eyes to help call the game.
Dallas showed some noticeable changes against the Green Bay Packers. Mainly, it’s in how they used their personnel and created pressure.
On the very first play of the game, Dallas called a corner blitz with Joey Porter Jr., resulting in a huge tackle for loss to set the tone for the game.
Along with the corner blitz, there was a noticeable uptick in how often Dallas sent a defensive back on a blitz, specifically Malik Hooker.
This was also the first time Jaishawn Barham saw time at edge this season. It allowed Rashan Gary to shift inside when they wanted a speed rush or a quarterback-contain look, while still keeping the flexibility to run a stunt with both.
This game showcased Pettine’s and Dallas’ ability to mix up their defensive fronts and force quarterbacks to rush through their progressions.
Pettine’s Second Game
Pettine’s second game showed the versatility he brings to this defense. After Jordan Love and company carved up the defense in what could’ve easily been a much bigger loss. Pettine showed a more conservative side to his and Parker’s game.
The Dallas Cowboys were able to take down the Philadelphia Eagles 38-21. After a rocky start for the defense, Dallas cleaned up instantly after halftime.
Dallas showcased a blitz rate of 10.5% compared to its blitz rate of 29.5% in the Week 6 loss to the Packers, per NFLPro.
The main reason for this could be the additions of Cobie Durant and DeMarvion Overshown back from injury. Getting two of their best defenders back from injured reserve this week allowed Dallas to rely more on coverage and trust their guys in the trenches to get home.
The Eagles also got hit with the injury bug horrendously. This made the Eagles a lot easier team to game-plan for than they would have been if everyone was healthy.
The Addition of Overshown
One of the biggest differences in Dallas’ defensive approach was the return of DeMarvion Overshown. His versatility let the Cowboys generate pressure without sending extra defenders immediately.
Rather than relying on constant blitzes, Dallas could send delayed blitzes, using simple eye discipline to catch the Eagles’ offensive line off guard and create free rushers multiple times throughout the game.
But arguably, the return of Overshown did more for them in the passing game than in the run game. His elite range gives Dallas more flexibility in coverage. His ability to move sideline to sideline allowed Dallas to cover the flats more effectively, limiting the easy completions that can punish an aggressive defense.
Although it is still unclear who made and pushed for these defensive changes, Parker or Pettine, the changes still worked. It’s giving Dallas a little bit more life.
The defense still needs a ton of changes to become Super Bowl-caliber, but it has improved enough to give fans hope moving forward.
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