Dallas Cowboys' Kenny Clark reveals major detail holding back defense

Through four weeks of the 2025-26 NFL season, it has become clear that the Dallas Cowboys' defense is a major weakness and liability that is holding the team back.

Dak Prescott and the Cowboys offense has been excelling, but the defense can't stop anything.

That couldn't be more clear than the league rankings, which show the Cowboys have the league's best offense, but they also have the worst defense in the NFL.

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Something has to change if the team is ever going to contend, and new defensive tackle Kenny Clark has pinpointed some major details that have been hurting the defense from improving during the first month of the season.

Dallas Cowboys defensive tackles Kenny Clark and Osa Odighizuwa celebrate a sack against the New York Giants | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

When speaking to the media following Dallas' 40-40 tie with his former team, the Green Bay Packers, Clark pointed towards communication and discipline as details that are holding the team back.

The communication has gotten better, according to Clark, but it still hasn't been enough.

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"I’m proud of how we fought as a team and everybody, going hard and all that kind of stuff. If we can match that effort with the details and everything that we’re doing, we’re gonna be a problem," Clark said, via Jon Machota of The Athletic.

“At the end of the day, if we don’t get our communication and details and all that kind of stuff fixed, it’s not gonna mean nothing. I’m proud of how we fought. … We just got to match that energy with the discipline.”

Defensive lineman Kenny Clark hosts a holiday food drive during Monday's Clubhouse Live. | Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wis / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Clark joined the Cowboys as part of the Micah Parsons trade before the start of the regular season, so he has only been in Dallas for a little bit over a month.

During his brief time with the team, the run defense has shown some improvement. Hopefully, the secondary will step up. It will start with getting healthy in the defensive backfield, so that will also help, along with the communication and discipline.

The Cowboys will have their next opportunity to show improvement on Sunday, October 5, at MetLife Stadium against the winless New York Jets.

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