Cowboys Defense Has Been a Nightmare in Training Camp, But in a Good Way

It's obviously hard to gauge exactly how good the Dallas Cowboys' defense is going to be this season given the fact that the team has a new defensive coordinator and several new players.

However, we can at least make an educated guess based on how the unit has looked in training camp through two-plus weeks. If an assistant coach's assessment of how things have gone is any indication, Dallas is moving in the right direction.

Joseph Hoty of the Dallas Morning News shared a quote from Steve Shimko, the assistant quarterbacks coach, on Monday in which he admits Dallas' defense has been giving its offense fits during training camp.

“This defense has given us nightmares right now," Shmko stated. "I can’t wait to watch them play. If we can keep up our standard, then we’re going to do a lot of great things.”

We normally might take this with a grain of salt considering it's just one view from one man, but we've heard something similar from players this offseason.

Take CeeDee Lamb, for example, who noted how difficult it was to play against Christian Parker's unit during OTAs.

"It's annoying. It's been annoying to prepare against, but obviously just seeing it practice every day... it's kind of unique, just seeing different guys communicate and being able to understand and take what they learn from the meeting room and being able to easily translate it on the field. It's good to go against, it's very tricky," Lamb said.

Talk is cheap, but signs are good

Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker at training camp at River Ridge Playing Fields. — Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Again, nobody is claiming this defense is fixed off a few quotes, but they are good signs nonetheless and help to continue building hope that things really are different for Dallas' defense in 2026.

We also have practice observations to go by and it seems like the Cowboys' defense is, at the very least, putting up a great fight against Dallas' offense on a daily basis. We've also seen the defense win convincingly on some days.

Not something to throw a party over for sure, but the Cowboys do have an elite offense and the defense not succumbing to the talent on that side of the ball is yet another great sign.

Bear in mind, with how good their offense is, the Cowboys do not have to be elite on defense to make the playoffs.

But if the Cowboys want to accomplish winning a Super Bowl, a top-10 defense may be required, as only two Super Bowl winners since 2013 haven't sported a top-10 unit.

But, like the Cowboys are set to sport in 2026, those teams, the Kansas City Chiefs (2022) and Los Angeles Rams (2021), sported elite offenses, so there's that.

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