Cris Collinsworth Rips Dallas Cowboys' Brutal Defense At End Of First Half

Throughout the offseason, the Dallas Cowboys focused on improving their defense. Following a disastrous campaign under Matt Eberflus, they decided to move in a different direction and brought in first-year defensive coordinator Christian Parker.

They then revamped the defensive roster, going into their Week 1 showdown against the New York Giants with six new starters. While there were some early positive plays, including a sack from rookie Caleb Downs and a fumble that resulted in a turnover forced by Quinnen Williams, the defense as a whole was still a mess.

Dallas surrendered 213 yards on four drives, giving up an average of 6.9 yards per play. Their worst showing was their final defensive drive before the half, when the Giants went 55 yards on six plays in 29 seconds. During this drive, which resulted in a 15-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Isaiah Likely, broadcaster Cris Collinsworth roasted their brutal defense.

"I thought I saw some bad defense out of the Cowboys last year, that sequence was as bad as it gets," Collinsworth said during the broadcast on NBC.

Cowboys defense couldn't cover anyone on final drive of the first half

New York Giants tight end Isaiah Likely makes a catch for a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cowboys had just given New York great field position with a little over one minute to play. Dak Prescott attempyed to throw the ball out of bounds while facing pressure, but didn't get enough on it. The pass was picked off by Jevon Holland.

Dallas looked as though they could stop the Giants and go into the half tied 7-7. They were facing third-and-nine following a false start, but then they quit playing defense in the secondary.

Malik Nabers was left all alone for a 16-yard pass. On the very next snap, Darnell Mooney was wide-open for an 18-yard gain. A five-yard pass to Likely was followed by the touchdown reception, which had no defenders in the same vicinity as the bight tight end.

Fixing the defense was always going to take time

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

There were plenty of reasons to be excited about the Cowboys this season, including the defense. That said, I wrote earlier this month that it would take time for things to gel.

Not only are there several new players, but Parker has never been a defensive coordinator at any level. He will get things figured out, but there will be bumps in the road along the way. This drive which led to the criticism from Collinsworth is a perfect example of that.

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