Report: Kris Richard called defensive plays in win over Giants, Matt Eberflus did similar last year

After the Dallas Cowboys ripped off six sacks against the New York Giants on Sunday night many quickly championed the cause of Kris Richard.

Richard joined the team this past offseason after being the defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks. Technically he’s the Cowboys secondary coach so play-calling isn’t necessarily something he is a lock to do, but that isn’t his only job title.

The Cowboys have a passing game coordinator on defense and have had one for some time. Previously Matt Eberflus held the role, but he left to become the defensive coordinator of the Indianapolis Colts before Dallas hired Richard. Obviously that’s a more elevated role within the defense, and now we’re finding out just how elevated. Kris Richard called defensive plays on Sunday, and Flus used to dabble in it as well.

Rod Marinelli says it’s all about team.

“All week [we talk about the play-calling], and I’ll say, ‘Hey, take it, Kris, you got it. Let’s go. You got a good feel of the back room,’” Marinelli said. “Because he has to feel pressure-wise if we can hold up, all those things. The thing I’ve always believed in and it’s one of our standards here is it’s about the team. The team to me is everything, every decision you make is how you get the team better. Some of the things he can do he makes us better. So I’m really glued to that.”

Perhaps this could be an indication that Richard is the team’s defensive coordinator of the future when Marinelli decides to retire. It says an awful lot about their faith in him that the Cowboys would let a coach in his first year with the team call the defensive plays. It says even more that when he did the unit blitzed and got home to the tune of six sacks.

The Cowboys visit the Seattle Seahawks this Sunday where Kris Richard used to coach. It’s safe to say he likely wants to use his new toys to show them what they let walk out the door. Hopefully the Cowboys continue to let him.