The Parker Report: How the Cowboys defense fared in week 1

With NFL Week 1 in the books, lets take a look at how first-year defensive coordinator Christian Parker and his revamped defense looked against the Giants.

In their first week of action, the Cowboys defense gave up 394 total yards, 29 first downs, and allowed an 82% third down conversion rate (9/11). The team recorded two sacks and took advantage of one turnover on a forced fumble. The real gut punch here is the quantity of turnover worthy plays on defense (five) while only walking away with just the one.

The main storyline is of the game, however, is time of possession. The Giants offense was also their best defense, as they controlled the ball for over 36 minutes. The inability of the Cowboys defense to get off the field kept Dak and the high powered offense on the sideline, seeing the field just twice in the second half.

Second-year edge Donovan Ezeiruaku had one of the better nights on defense. He led the team with ten tackles, had a half sack, two hits on the quarterback, and one forced fumble.

Caleb Downs was the only player to finish with a full sack on the stat sheet. The quarterback takedown came on a well disguised slot blitz. The devastating blind side hit forced a Jaxson Dart fumble, conveniently landing in the waiting arms of a Giants offensive lineman. This was exactly the playmaking ability Downs showcased throughout his time at Alabama and Ohio State.

Speaking of fumbles, the team forced four of them but only recovered one. Donovan Ezeiruaku, Caleb Downs, Cobie Durant and Quinnen Williams each had their turn jarring the ball loose. The lone fumble recovery came on the Quinnen Williams punchout, which bounced right into Shavon Revel 's lap.

The Cowboys rolled out their 3-4 base on 28 snaps (41.2%), allowing 112 yards. They lined up in nickel on 24 snaps (35.3%) but allowed a whopping 215 yards. It's interesting to see that the extra DB is what spurred the leaky defense.

The coverage split was 77.8% zone and 22.2% man. Dallas lived in a two-high or three-deep zone structure throughout most of the day.

The Cowboys blitzed at the seventh highest rate in week one, but that translated to just the 21st ranking in pressures. And when Dallas rushed only four, Jaxson Dart went 17-of-19 for 200 yards and two touchdowns.

Dallas bit hard on the play-action. Dart was 5-of-7, had a touchdown, and ran for 26 yards on off the play fake. The young edges consistently crashed hard, opening outside lanes for Dart on the rollout pass or to take off and run.

Caleb Downs played nearly every snap on defense. The young star made his presence known with a huge hit on Jaxson Dart, forcing a fumble that was recovered by the Giants. His final stat line would read eight tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, and one QB hit. Where he could improve would be his pass coverage win rate. Great start for the rookie, but there is still much improvement to be had.

Malachi Lawrence was not good enough. He was involved in more than one negative big play on Sunday night. Too many times we saw him bite on play fakes, crashing down while leaving a huge void to the outside. His pass rush was nearly non-existent. Lawrence ended the night as the fourth lowest rated player on defense against the Giants.

Jaishawn Barham finished the night with six tackles as a rotational linebacker. He had one noticeable hit in the backfield, but outside of that was somewhat forgettable. There were questions about his effort late in the game as the Giants connected in the flat multiple plays in a row on their way to a game sealing touchdown. With Overshown potentially missing up to two weeks , we should see more of Barham against the Commanders and Ravens .

LT Overton played a small role Sunday night but did finish with one tackle and one pass breakup at the line. With a strong preseason and a solid first game with limited snaps, expect to see his role grow as the season continues.

The Cowboys came into MetLife Stadium with high expectations surrounding a fresh start on a rebuilt defense. What the Cowboys got was more of the same. There is no nice way to put this: this team was dominated on the defensive side of the ball. While they limited the explosive plays of over 15 yards, they allowed the Giants offense to methodically work their way down the field for touchdowns while chewing up so much clock that their own offense saw the field just twice in the second half.

We witnessed large voids in coverage more than once, resulting in touchdowns and first downs. Some mental mistakes are to be expected for a new defense, but too many of the same misses can be seen on film. Dallas will need to get this corrected in a hurry if they want to keep pace in the NFC.

The only reason this defense doesn't get an F is because they forced four fumbles. The law of averages did not apply as the ball seemed magnetized to Giants players after being stripped on more than one occasion. If the Cowboys can tighten up but also keep their intensity around punchouts and strip sacks, the football will bounce their way and win them some games.

The Cowboys have a ton of work to do on the defensive side of the ball. Their next test comes at home against the Washington Commanders this Sunday. Jaxson Dart's mobility was crucial for the Giants victory and Dallas faces another one coming to town in Jayden Daniels . It's imperative this defense doesn't overcommit to the inside play fakes because Daniels will take the run option every single time. We'll see if Parker will make the proper adjustments in week two.