OXNARD, Calif. — Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker said Wednesday that the coaching operation around him ran smoothly in his first game calling a defense.
Seattle scored a touchdown on an 80-yard opening drive Saturday and did not score again. Dallas won 17-7 and held the Seahawks to 156 total net yards, 49 net passing yards, and 14 first downs. Seattle went 1-of-4 in the red zone and 0-for-2 on fourth down.
Christian Parker on the Cowboys’ Sideline Operation
Parker said he prefers working from the sideline and has done it most years as a defensive backs coach.
“It felt good. I think our operation from a coaching staff standpoint was very smooth. Information in the box, the communication on the sideline, everything between series, during the series,” Parker said. “It was quiet on the headset, which was a good thing, and was able to get in a good flow.”
Schottenheimer, who listened in on Parker’s channel during the game, said Monday after watching the film that sideline communication across all three phases could be better, including to the coaches in the box. Secondary coach Ryan Smith works from the box. Smith is in his first season in Dallas after three years coaching cornerbacks in Arizona, where the Cowboys play Saturday.
Dallas hired Parker on Jan. 22 to replace Matt Eberflus. At 34, he is the youngest defensive coordinator in franchise history and the fourth in four seasons. He spent 2024 and 2025 with Philadelphia as passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach, 2021 through 2023 as Denver’s defensive backs coach, and 2019 and 2020 as a defensive quality control coach in Green Bay.
The Cowboys Defense After Seattle’s Opening Drive
Parker flagged penalties, not the operation, from the first possession.
“I think we just had to play cleaner football. I think that there’s always going to be the emotions the first time being out there again,” Parker said. “So we just had to settle in and just play ball. I don’t think that the first drive was necessarily sloppy other than the penalties. We had an odd discipline problem one play, but I think overall the guys were really disciplined. They were connected with each other. They played the style that we want to play. So we have to continue to build on that.”
Seattle recovered a muffed Dallas punt at the Cowboys’ 5 with 8:21 left in the fourth quarter. Three plays gained 4 yards. On fourth-and-1 from the 1, Isaiah Land sacked Jalen Milroe at the Dallas 15 for a loss of 14 yards.
Dallas allowed 30.1 points per game in 2025, last in the NFL, and 377 yards per game, 30th. Parker gets his second game Saturday at Arizona at 9 p.m. CT.
