Kenny Clark Calls It Out: The Cowboys Need 'Dogs'

All Bark, No Bite for the Defense

I watched the 2025 Cowboys defense, and it was like owning a jacked-up 4×4 that still gets stuck in the mud. The potential was obvious, but the execution? That’s where the wheels fell off.

We saw penalties in critical moments, missed tackles that made me question defenders, communication busts on seemingly every play, and the thing that bothered me most, the team didn’t lack talent.

These issues were a lack of consistency, discipline, and a collective personality that said, “This is who we are.”

Clark nailed it when he said the best teams do the little stuff right all the time, not just when the lights are bright or the matchup looks sexy on paper.

Championship defenses aren’t built on part-time effort, they are built on routine, accountability, preparation, and dudes who genuinely care about ball beyond Sundays.

And I know, and Kenny Clark knows, that is the crossroads Dallas is standing at right now.

The DC Search Is More Than a Hire, It’s a Personality Check

Now, let’s talk about the elephant in the room, or more fittingly, the elephant in Jerry Jones’ office. The future defensive coordinator search.

We all know it’s gonna happen, and it matters.

There are going to be plenty of names floated around that make the fanbase drool. Some guys are blitz wizards, others coverage artists, some are defensive mad scientists who’ll cook up pressure looks that make quarterbacks lose sleep.

But I keep circling back to this: the Cowboys don’t just need a new defensive coordinator, they need a culture setter.

What the DC Needs to Be

The most brilliant scheme on the planet doesn’t matter if the players don’t believe in the guy delivering it.

The next DC has to walk in the building and immediately establish a standard. Effort cannot be optional, fundamentals can’t be negotiable, and accountability is not selective.

What I think the Cowboys need at DC is a coach who coaches the defense like it’s personal, not theoretical.

This coach needs to drill in tackling angles, make communication a reflex, someone who gets 11 guys to play like they are connected and enjoy hitting people legally for a living.

2026 Is the Reset, and Jerry Has to Get This One Right

I believe this offseason is a rare reset moment.

The draft will offer defensive tone-setters, free agency will offer veteran leaders, and the coordinator search will offer scheme architects.

But Clark’s words are the reminder Dallas can’t ignore:

The Cowboys defense needs dogs again, and the coordinator hire will determine whether we see a defense being built that looks good on paper, or one that actually makes offenses regret lining up across from us again.

The scheme can change, but identity has to stick.

If we watch Jerry nail this hire, 2026 might be the year the Cowboys’ defense finally starts keeping up with the offense.