The Cowboys last season were terrible at communicating on defense, and it is clear to see that under Parker, that's a big emphasis.
Last season, there was so much wrong with the Dallas Cowboys defense under Matt Eberflus, that it was hard to know where to begin trying to fix things.
The Cowboys hired Chrisitan Parker as their new defensive coordinator, and a handful of new coaches and players have come to The Star looking to turn the embattled unit around.
With the drafting of Caleb Downs, which gave Cowboys Nation a big injection of optimism, being the centerpiece, many think that Dallas is going to have a vastly different and better defense in 2026.
Of course, we'll let the cake bake on that for now.
But one big issue that was glaring last season was the lack of communication and the inability to get lined up correctly.
This wasn't from rookies; it was from veterans like Malik Hooker and Trevon Diggs. They didn't know what they were doing. That's coaching.
Now, under Parker, communication is a big emphasis, but we know that being loud and direct isn't every player's cup of tea.
But it is clear Chrisitan doesn't care once you get on the field. You've got to communicate at a high level.
"I think that communication on the field and in life in general is just different," Parker said. "There's more extreme circumstances in the pre- snap in terms of what you need to communicate, so those guys embrace it. There are certain people who are giving communication, there are certain people receiving it by position, not necessarily by their personality, we don't really care about that.
"If you're in a position of communication and you're commanding and you're responsible for the checks and things we have to do, that's what you have to do. So, whether you say a thousand words out of these walls or two, it doesn't matter. When we're on that grass, it's a premium."
So, the hope is that with Parker harping on communication, we won't see the regular coverage busts where a receiver catches a pass, and there isn't a defender within 20 yards of him.
Of course, it will be a work in progress, but Parker has made it clear that communication is top of the to-do list for every player, and we've heard Dak Prescott speak on it.
When the offense motions, or checks to a different play, the defense is as loud, if not louder in their communication. That's a good start.
Communication folks, that has been the biggest issue over the past year, and it appears Parker is bending over backward to make sure it's a strength, not a weakness in 2026.
