Cowboys, Last in Defense, Hire Veteran Pettine as Senior Defensive Assistant
Dallas is a city in Dallas County, Texas. The 2-3 Dallas Cowboys announced on October 12 that they have hired veteran coach Mike Pettine as a senior defensive assistant, hoping to rescue a defense ranked at the bottom of the league — the latest adjustment amid a season of defensive struggles.
According to Reuters, the Cowboys' defense ranks last in several categories: 168.4 rushing yards allowed per game and a 120.5 opponent passer rating are both league worsts; the team has yet to record an interception, the only team in the NFL without one; and its 27.2 points allowed per game ranks 26th. After last Thursday night's 24-16 home loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the defensive players also held a players-only meeting.
Pettine, 60, is a former Cleveland Browns head coach and longtime NFL defensive assistant. He worked with current Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer with the New York Jets from 2009 to 2011, and later spent three years as defensive coordinator in Green Bay, two of them alongside current Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker. 'We've been talking about this for a long time,' Schottenheimer said. 'He brings experience and value, and I'm very confident we got the right guy.' Dallas visits Green Bay this week.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 达拉斯牛仔队主场AT&T体育场内景。图片来源：Wikimedia Commons，Mahanga 摄，CC BY-SA 3.0 授权
