ARLINGTON, Texas — You would have a hard time finding a more embarrassing performance from any Dallas Cowboys team this century than the “perfect game” they pitched on Thursday night against a terrible Tampa Bay Bucs team.

The Cowboys played their third game in 11 days spread over two continents, and the frequent flyer miles caught them in a game they still had no excuse losing. Whatever reasons/excuses the Cowboys had, the Bucs made them all a wash.

The Buccaneers were 0-4, and starting an undrafted rookie free-agent quarterback who was making his second career NFL start, Kansas alum Jalon Daniels. NFL teams don’t lose to Kansas Jayhawk quarterbacks. Neither do most college teams.

“Thought they were a very determined bunch,” Cowboys owner/GM/president Jerry Jones told us flock of reporters after the game. “It’s just very disappointing. Our guys are trying to get better.”

If this is true, then it’s even more damning.

To fix this mess, Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said after the 24-16 defeat, “We evaluate everything. Five games in, disappointed in the way we performed. That’s one part of the process. [The weekend] is the chance to slow down our process and look at every detail we need to improve.”

So, everything?

“We’re going to look at the tape,” he said, “we’re going to look at the stats.”

This confirms Brian Schottenheimer is a masochist.

“We didn’t play well enough,” he said, “or coach well enough, to win.”

With nine wins in his first 22 games as the head coach of the Cowboys, Schottenheimer has his own issues in the mirror; after he turns around and looks at his coaching staff he will see another problem in his first-year defensive coordinator.

Cowboys’ Christian Parker problem

However Jerry, Schottenheimer and the rest of the staff want to minimize defensive coordinator Christian Parker’s performance, his defense continues to be atrocious, on a pace that is again historic.

The enthusiasm and excitement generated by hiring Parker has been replaced by a mudslide of ugly that the Cowboys’ defense can’t stop. The Cowboys’ rush defense in the first five games looks like this:

— Week 1: at Giants: 37 carries, 165 yards, 1 TD

— Week 2: vs. Washington: 32 carries, 182 yards

— Week 3: vs. Baltimore: 38 carries, 192 yards, 2 TDs

— Week 4: at Houston: 19 carries, 62 yards, 1 TD

— Week 5: vs. Tampa Bay: 39 carries, 241 yards, 2 TDs

On Thursday night, Daniels was sacked one time, threw zero interceptions, and the Cowboys’ defense forced no turnovers. Tampa’s offense was 7 of 13 on third downs, and it had the ball for nearly 40 minutes.

Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland, who was given a contract extension due largely to his ability to intercept passes and return them for touchdowns, dropped a sure pick-six late in the fourth quarter that would have changed the game.

The Cowboys let the Bucs convert a third-and-21, gave up a 72-yard run to running back Bucky Irving, and Tampa’s offense averaged 6.2 yards every time it ran the ball.

This is what bad defenses do. This defense doesn’t tackle well, “set the edge,” consistently pressure the quarterback, and struggles in coverage, either because of communication, or with talent.

After the game, Jerry Jones would not put Parker in the deep fryer.

“I feel he’s competent,” Jerry said.

Also people who are competent: My mailman. It doesn’t mean he should be the defensive coordinator of the Cowboys.

The Cowboys defense in 2026

Jones said any speculation about Parker being replaced this season is “premature.” He did say that he felt the defense was “back to where we started.”

About 10 minutes after Jerry said this, Schottenheimer unknowingly disagreed with the point.

The Cowboys are not apt to fire Parker now. And they really don’t want to dump him after the season, either. He is their fifth defensive coordinator since 2020.

While he has only five games on his resume, these five look like the defenses under fired Cowboys defensive coordinators Matt Eberflus, and Mike Nolan. Outmatched. Overwhelmed. And, worse, “schemed.”

It does not help that Parker is limited by personnel, especially up-front. Veteran pass rusher Rashan Gary, acquired in the offseason from Green Bay, looks like he’s just about done. Von Miller is already there.

Young players such as Jaishawn Barham, Donovan Ezeiruaku and Malachai Lawrence have all shown ability, and upside, but they’re first- or second-year players. They’re going to be inconsistent.

The secondary has been hit hard by injuries; even the recently acquired Joey Porter Jr. missed Thursday night’s game because of what sounded like a virus. Bland looks lost in this scheme.

Parker can’t be expected to fix all of this, but he was hired to improve a defense that last year was one of the worst in the league.

It’s still one of the worst in the league, and for the moment Christian Parker has the support of his boss because “he’s competent.”

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