Mike Zimmer expectations

[OmerV]

A lot is being said already about Mike coming in here and being this no non sense coach. It first off goes to show you how bad of a team we've been, since so many people are stressing this is what we need on defense. A guy that can come in here and challenge players , tell them about themselves and not care!

All of that sounds good, it's good to bring up in the forums, but how can we be assured that this will happen?? Our defense was good under Quinn coming off having Nolan for that time period. Things went south with Quinn, and he's moved on.

What are REAL expectations that we can expect from Zim without over exaggerating things. I mean can we at least see what he has to say in his press conference, then on field?? Hoping for the best, it all sounds good though! Please give your thoughts, can he rally this team together all throughout the season. I hear people saying he needs to get players off this team who aren't doing right, how can you do that exactly with a salary cap/penalties???

If the man has a long standing history of challenging players, why would we pretend there isn't any evidence of it to base a decision on?

All a team can do is evaluate the history of the candidates & how they perceive those candidates today, and make a choice. It's not realistic to expect guarantees.

 

[gimmesix]

Front office had nothing to do with the DL running up the field every snap. Quinn ran a gimmick scheme.

Quinn ran a scheme that best fit what the personnel he had could do. Yes, he has some tendencies and wants certain personnel for that, but do you think Quinn wouldn't have gladly welcomed better DTs? Every coordinator has to overcome deficiencies, but the Joneses create deficiencies that are not necessary with their FA philosophy, unless you happen to think the combo of Hankins, Odighizuwa, Mazi, Gallimore and Golston is sufficient.

 

[gimmesix]

WOW this is my biggest fear, we will focus so much on the run that we will give up passing yards, why can't we just have consistency

One of our issues is that we only have one dynamic pass rusher. Quinn created a lot of pressure by moving that pass rusher around and using a lot of games up front. If Zimmer plays more straight up, we may not have the horses to consistently get pressure, especially since teams will definitely double and even triple Micah.

I like Lawrence, but he's not as much of a pass rusher as he once was and that was never his primary asset. At this point, we also have to consider Williams hit and miss at best.

 

[Toro9]

I liked Stanback's appraisal of the situation that there's little doubt about the schemes he runs and his overall philosophy of defense but that not all players respond well to getting yelled at. Some guys can go into a shell. Call them whatever you want but I know both kinds of coaches from personal experience and I know I respond better to calm rationality as opposed to in-your-face borderline berating.

 

[CWR]

One of our issues is that we only have one dynamic pass rusher. Quinn created a lot of pressure by moving that pass rusher around and using a lot of games up front. If Zimmer plays more straight up, we may not have the horses to consistently get pressure, especially since teams will definitely double and even triple Micah.

I like Lawrence, but he's not as much of a pass rusher as he once was and that was never his primary asset. At this point, we also have to consider Williams hit and miss at best.

You don't need the best horses when Parsons is double and triple teamed. He opens it up for everyone else. Of course we could use upgrades.

 

[Rayman70]

Zimmer is a Parcells,Jimmy Johnson type of guy. He learned much from them. He lives rent free in the heads of the players,which can be good, and bad. Some will respond good and some will check out. I cant see a guy like Diggs handling this very well. I mean he did handle Saban at Bama, but now that he got paid, I am not sold. Will he and Micah humble themselves? Zimmer will only be as effective as the players he has and if they are willing partners. Jerry doesnt understand this. Now Rex Ryan on the other hand, has a charisma that is infectious, and I think the guys would have listened to him. Its debatable with Zimmer.

 

[Rayman70]

I liked Stanback's appraisal of the situation that there's little doubt about the schemes he runs and his overall philosophy of defense but that not all players respond well to getting yelled at. Some guys can go into a shell. Call them whatever you want but I know both kinds of coaches from personal experience and I know I respond better to calm rationality as opposed to in-your-face borderline berating.

I trust what Stanback says alot. BUT, DQ was rational, got good results, but in the end, the good buddy coach act wears thin when the player thinks they are on the same level as the coach is. Thats why Zimmer might work now. Think timing.

 

[SiCk_DiAbLo]

Wasn't it Micah that said players don't liked to be talked to that way, Zimmer likes to yell...This should get interesting...

 

[gimmesix]

You don't need the best horses when Parsons is double and triple teamed. He opens it up for everyone else. Of course we could use upgrades.

One top rusher can be neutralized or limited. You have to have other players who can win one-on-ones regularly. I'm not sure we've got that. Quinn relied a lot on movement, stunting quite a bit to get defenders free or keep blockers off them. The problem with stunts is it leaves you vulnerable against the run because defenders are caught on the move and out of their gaps, leaving gaping holes for backs to run through. A lot of our pressure under Quinn was created by attacking with Micah and stunting around that to get other players to the quarterback. Zimmer isn't terrible in that area, but he's not likely to play games up front as often as Quinn did. Quinn was a pressure-first coach. He picked the running game as his poison, and it got him against Green Bay.

 

[MikeT22]

Quinn ran a scheme that best fit what the personnel he had could do. Yes, he has some tendencies and wants certain personnel for that, but do you think Quinn wouldn't have gladly welcomed better DTs? Every coordinator has to overcome deficiencies, but the Joneses create deficiencies that are not necessary with their FA philosophy, unless you happen to think the combo of Hankins, Odighizuwa, Mazi, Gallimore and Golston is sufficient.

You realize Osa, Gholston, Mazi along with Sam Williams, Damone, etc we’re Quinn’s guys, right?

Yes Jerry is a horrible GM, but when it came to drafting defense, Quinn (and Marinelli) had major input in who we selected.

 

[CowboyFanInLexKy]

Is Zimmer going to go out there on the practice field and practice with the defense (like Quinn did) or is he going to be the clipboard holder type and watch?

 

[OmerV]

Is Zimmer going to go out there on the practice field and practice with the defense (like Quinn did) or is he going to be the clipboard holder type and watch?

You can have a clip board AND be on the practice field giving instruction.

In any case, Zimmer seems to be a pretty hands on guy. Nobody describes him as passive.

 

[fivetwos]

Zimmer expectations?

I expect him to become the next head coach because he wants the payday and he allows Jerry to remain a celebrity.

The roster will be in decline and he will be gone after the exact number of years he originally signs for because they will not eat coach contracts, and Zimmer is family. The third in a row that’s expired instead of fired when they should have been.

I can only hope that the majority of casual fans will have had it by then and just maybe it sparks real change, but probably not.

Unless I’m dead wrong, if it plays out that way these last few years were handled terribly by the FO when they had a real shot with a little more effort.

To think they wanted to give big money to Randy Gregory but wanted nothing to do with Bobby Wagner.

If a guy like Chris Jones by some miracle was drafted by them, they would do everything possible to keep him….but won’t even call his agent when he is free to be had.

Tell me these two have half a clue. It’s disgusting and depressing.

 

[charron]

I expect him to attempt to instill more discipline in the defensive players.

 

[OGSixshooter]

we won 36 games in 3 years. Thats really really outstanding and hard to do. Thats why I think Zimmer and MM are set up for failure. The expectations will be at least 10 wins. I think 10 is a high bar if everything goes right. If things go wrong, they will go wrong huge. And early. I can see as few as 6 wins with this schedule and staff /team as currently constructed. Now if we can draft a bell cow like Ray Davis, and a couple good players on defense,with the right dline coach, who knows. A great running game and line can mask many deficiencies on defense via ball control.

9 games in...MM is fired. Book it.

 

[Jarv]

https://bvmsports.com/2024/02/09/mike-zimmers-defensive-strategy-simulated-pressures-run-defense-focus/#:~:text=Zimmer's scheme emphasizes simulated pressures and the split,bodies in the defensive line and linebacker positions.


"The Cowboys have hired Mike Zimmer as their new defensive coordinator. Zimmer's scheme emphasizes simulated pressures and the split mug front to generate pass rush without blitzing. He prioritizes stopping the run to make offenses one-dimensional and has a preference for bigger bodies in the defensive line and linebacker positions."

By the Numbers

• Zimmer's defenses are usually near the bottom of the league in blitz rate (more than four pass rushers).
• Zimmer's scheme often utilizes bigger bodies, such as 330-350 pound defensive linemen, and linebackers around 245-255 pounds.

State of Play

• Zimmer's arrival as the defensive coordinator marks a shift in defensive strategy for the Cowboys.
• Zimmer's emphasis on simulated pressures and run defense signifies a change in defensive tactics from the previous coordinator, Dan Quinn.

Bottom Line
Zimmer's hiring represents a strategic shift for the Cowboys, focusing on creative pass rush techniques and strong run defense to reshape the team's defensive identity.

Sounds like we don't currently have the players to run his scheme.

 

[Coogiguy03]

One of our issues is that we only have one dynamic pass rusher. Quinn created a lot of pressure by moving that pass rusher around and using a lot of games up front. If Zimmer plays more straight up, we may not have the horses to consistently get pressure, especially since teams will definitely double and even triple Micah.

I like Lawrence, but he's not as much of a pass rusher as he once was and that was never his primary asset. At this point, we also have to consider Williams hit and miss at best.

I agree, but I don't think our pass rush is as good as people think it is, or disruptive as it could be, micah is the only one that gets doubled and tripled, says a lot about the other guys, someone should be open

 

[jazzcat22]

Expectations …. Real LB’s. And …. real tackling.

 

[CWR]

One top rusher can be neutralized or limited. You have to have other players who can win one-on-ones regularly. I'm not sure we've got that. Quinn relied a lot on movement, stunting quite a bit to get defenders free or keep blockers off them. The problem with stunts is it leaves you vulnerable against the run because defenders are caught on the move and out of their gaps, leaving gaping holes for backs to run through. A lot of our pressure under Quinn was created by attacking with Micah and stunting around that to get other players to the quarterback. Zimmer isn't terrible in that area, but he's not likely to play games up front as often as Quinn did. Quinn was a pressure-first coach. He picked the running game as his poison, and it got him against Green Bay.

Dlaw is pretty good, but I'm not sure he's still under contract? Fowler made a lot of plays with limited time. Armstrong probably benefited a lot from Parsons but he's also really solid. I don't have a lot of hope for Sam Williams, as he's a moron. I do believe we have some decent guys but I know a couple are FAs.

 

[TheCritic]

OP asks how can we be sure if Zimmer will deliver on being tough coach. Some would argue for waiting for final results but since the entire NFL is a conspiracy, I would say consult your tarot cards. The answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind!