Former NFL Player Unloads on Christian Parker For Defensive Tackle Usage

Throughout the entire offseason, we were all sold on the idea that Christian Parker was going to bring a lot of change on defense for the Dallas Cowboys. Through two games, that hasn't been the case as the rookie defensive coordinator has been struggling to stop opposing offenses.

They were bullied in a prime-time loss to the New York Giants in Week 1 and were bailed out by an ineffective Washington Commanders offense in Week 2. Now going into Week 3, there's plenty of concern about Parker going up against Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry and the Baltimore Ravens.

Parker must put together a strong game plan for Dallas to pull out the win, but there are suddenly a lot of concerns about his ability to do so. One former NFL player who doesn't approve of what he's seen thus far from Parker is Gerald McCoy, who says Parker is confusing his best players, and is making a mistake in how he uses Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark.

Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Kenny Clark at training camp at River Ridge Playing Fields. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

"I don't know what Christian Parker is doing. You said what's going on with the D tackles. I'll tell you what's going on. He's making a mistake with how he's using them," McCoy said.

"Quinnen Williams is a penetrating three technique. Kenny Clark spent most of his time in Green Bay as a nose guard. Last year, Kenny Clark was the nose guard. Quentin Williams was the three technique. Well, this year, for some reason, he decided, hey, we're just going to play sides. So there's times where we see Quinnen Williams in a five technique, and then they bring in a D tackle off the bench, and he's the three technique where Kenny Clark's the nose. And then sometimes Kenny Clark is the three technique, and Quennin Williams is the nose. They're confused about what they're supposed to be doing."

Just as concerning as the claims about Williams and Clark is McCoy assertion that Dallas has no rush plan. He says even when teams go with an empty backfield, there's no real plan from the defense on how to get after the quarterback.

Cowboys have addressed concerns about Quinnen Williams' fit in current scheme

Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Quinnen Williams looks on during the game between the Cowboys and the Saints. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

McCoy isn't the first person to ask if this scheme is the best fit for Williams. While he did play in a similar role with Alabama, Williams has seen his impact on the game decline drastically this season.

The noise was loud enough that head coach Brian Schottenheimer had to address it, saying he understands the question, but believes it's a great fit for Williams. Not only did he point out that Williams excelled in a similar style with the Crimson Tide, but pointed to players such as Jalen Carter, who have also found success in a similar defensive front.

Williams is an elite talent and is expected to be the face of this defense. If he's able to find a way to start impacting the game, it will go a long way toward helping Parker's vision become a reality. If not, that could be a problem for Parker. Jerry Jones paid Williams a lot of money to be a star and if Parker can't get that out of him, Jones will eventually look for someone who can.

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