dallasnews
FRISCO — The Dallas Cowboys made official the addition of Mike Pettine as a defensive senior assistant coach on Monday. However, Pettine did not report to The Star until Wednesday morning and was absent from the practice field for the team's first session in preparation for Sunday's game at Green Bay.
Instead, Pettine was in an office studying game footage. He also spent time conferring with defensive coordinator Christian Parker, with whom he shares a close relationship.
"Yeah, he's grinding on film," head coach Brian Schottenheimer said of Pettine. "He's in a lot of the coaching meetings. He's doing different things right now. He's getting caught up on some stuff because again, he's new in the building. He's been watching film from afar."
Schottenheimer voiced confidence that Parker and Pettine can succeed in aiding a defense that ranks 31st in the league.
"Parker's our defensive coordinator and everything, all decisions, will run through him," Schottenheimer said. "We're supporting him. I support him. I believe so strongly in the guy. I do. I think the guy's an incredible football coach. We have to coach better. We got to play better. I think our players will be the first ones to say there's things that they need to do better. There's things I need to do better."
Pettine is known as a front seven specialist, but he will assist in various capacities. Pettine gave Parker his first NFL job in Green Bay in 2019. He is also a former defensive coordinator with several teams, including the Packers.
"I mean, he's a great coach," defensive tackle Kenny Clark said of Pettine. "I worked with him, what two or three years in Green Bay. He's going to pressure guys, get us to different fronts. He does a lot of stuff, manipulating with the coverage and all that kind of stuff. So excited to have Pettine."
Key Analysis
Pettine's delayed arrival on the practice field underscores his immediate focus on film study and collaboration with Parker. His extensive experience and specialized knowledge are expected to bolster a struggling Cowboys defense, though Schottenheimer emphasized that all defensive decisions will continue to flow through Parker.
Originally reported by dallasnews.