Did Cowboys 'Set Up Christian Parker To Fail!'? Controversy & Insight Into Major Change

The Dallas Cowboys knew they needed to help defensive coordinator Christian Parker, as his unit had floundered in the first five weeks of this NFL season.

And that help will come from veteran coach Mike Pettine, who is coming on as a "senior assistant.''

With head coach Brian Schottenheimer dropping the news of change to start the week, fans were unsure what to make of it, but in a nutshell, Parker needed help, and the Cowboys gave it to him.

So ... how is this being twisted into being something deviously controversial?

The news that Parker is now going to be up in the booth calling the defense, not on the sidelines, is another wrinkle here.

And then there is one other controversial opinion - one I don't fully understand.

Cowboys beat writer Clarence Hill is alleging that the hiring of Parker was, in the first place, a "set-up.''

How so? Hill writes, "Parker was set up to fail from the jump ... Unrealistic expectations, didn't go get the personnel needed ..., didn't get him the support he needed ... yet called him a 'rising star' and a 'savant' ...''

Whoa. Wait a second here.

The fact is, Hill himself was among the many insiders who praised the hire of the 34-year-old first-time coordinator. And Hill himself wrote stories using the word "savant.''

Our colleague Hill even wrote, "Parker will get head coach interviews as soon as next season if not the following year with any success in Dallas. He is a future head coach.

"Don’t get comfortable. His star is rising.''

(CowboysRoundtable.com certainly wrote stories during the spring and summer echoing that general tone.)

So, it seems like somebody either has a short memory (the internet keeps receipts) or is engaging in some revisionist history (for whatever reason).

Or, as Hill tells our Mike Fisher in the above video, he was trying to be "sarcastic'' while still making the point that too many in Cowboys Nation "drank the Kool-aid.''

I give credit to Hill for visiting with Fish on the topic; the Video Visit is well worth your time due to the overall Cowboys insights from two of the most tenured journalists in DFW.

The truth to me, though? Jerry Jones' Cowboys set up Parker to succeed ... but all involved have so-far failed.

More truth? Jones' Cowboys still want Parker to succeed ... and so they've made some changes that will hopefully lead to that.

Indeed, at least the franchise is trying something, right? They aren't burying their heads in the sand and hoping Parker figures it out. They're getting him help to hopefully turn this thing around.

READ MORE:  Roster Shake-Up? 3 Cowboys Who Should Be Among Schottenheimer's 'Notable' Changes

Cowboys COO Stephen Jones, who was on 105.3 The Fan, he gave a little insight into how things are currently rolling inside The Star with Pettine's inclusion.

"I think this thing will evolve, whether Christian's in the booth or the sideline or Pettine's in the booth or on the sideline, that's something coach Sottenheimer and them will work through as the week goes," Jones said.

"They'll come up with what they feel gives us the best chance to have success and just feel great that we're adding a quality coach to this staff that I really think can help.

"So just looking forward to getting his input."

With the defense dealing with a host of injuries, many feel this could be a key reason it isn't performing at the level many expected.

Jalen Thompson, PJ Locke, Cobie Durant, and DeMarvion Overshown are just some of the injuries Parker has had to navigate, as three of the four mentioned are players are new faces who should elevate the defense.

READ MORE:  Cowboys Reveal Truths In Players-Only Meeting As Defense In Crisis Mode

But now that Joey Porter Jr. has gotten over his bug, Jones is hoping that the tide will turn, citing that the franchise still has optimism about 2026.

"It'll be great to get Joey Porter back out on the field on a regular basis and feel good about where we're headed," Jones added. "We wouldn't be making these moves if we weren't optimistic about what we can ultimately be as a football team."

So, what this thing looks like over the next month or so will likely determine the Cowboys' season.

Has the franchise given Parker the tools needed to succeed? It has certainly given him the tools to not be the worst defense in the NFL (again).

And now with Pettine coming in to help smooth things over, the arrow, hopefully, should be trending in the right direction. That doesn't need to be "controversial.'' It just needs to happen.