Mike Zimmer's coverage philosophy just isn't working for the 2024 Cowboys

big dog cowboy

big dog cowboy

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Great article on the Cowboys defense under Zim. It's pretty clear from watching the games he isn't the answer we hoped. Reading this, it's worse than it seems. Considering the upcoming schedule, it could be rough watching our team.

Mike Zimmer's coverage philosophy just isn't working for the 2024 Cowboys
k.d. drummond
Wed, Oct 2, 2024

f84ba63962fbfebdbef67f76afb50d67


It's always tough to make a one-to-one comparison between coaching staffs in the NFL. From year to year, so much changes about team personnel that it's sometimes tough to pinpoint what changed philosophically or what changed out of necessity.

Take the Dallas Cowboys for instance. Last year's starting cornerback tandem of Stephon Gilmore and Daron Bland have played zero snaps for the team in 2024. Can a change in the way the secondary schemes be tethered to a necessary change with Trevon Diggs return and a fifth-round rookie in Caelen Carson playing opposite him? Or is it more about Mike Zimmer implementing what has always been a much different philosophy when it comes to coverages than his predecessor Dan Quinn?

Much more: https://sports.yahoo.com/mike-zimmers-coverage-philosophy-just-210008669.html
 
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Cowboys5217

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It didn't work when he was DC here 20 years ago either. That's why it was so "brilliant" for Jerry to rehire that failed dinosaur for a rerun of horrible defense.

Also, Quinn was without Diggs for most of last year, and yet Bland went crazy picking passes off, so lacking Bland isn't a good excuse for Zimmer.
 
Cowboys5217

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CyberB0b said:
McCarthy should have been fired, but Quinn wasn’t getting the job done, either. No more retreads.
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He was getting the job done. We were breaking records for turnovers, getting sacks, and the defense would go crazy some games with lights out performances. It just had trouble stopping the run.

Now, the defense just sucks, can't stop anything, and doesn't produce turnovers and sacks.

Quinn is 100 times better than Zimmer.
 
TheMarathonContinues

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Cowboys5217 said:
He was getting the job done. We were breaking records for turnovers, getting sacks, and the defense would go crazy some games with lights out performances. It just had trouble stopping the run.

Now, the defense just sucks, can't stop anything, and doesn't produce turnovers and sacks.

Quinn is 100 times better than Zimmer.
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It just has trouble stopping the run was a big issue. You can’t win in the playoffs if you can’t stop the run or run the football.
 
Rayman70

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Zimmer was chased outta Dallas 20 years ago and allowed to go to Minny for a reason. He has a scheme that simply requires everything to fall just right in order for it to work. Its not feasible in a passing league. This isn't 1995. In any scheme, it takes good players that are really fundamentally sound. We lack this is spades. We are best served to play man to man mostly. Man press. Thats where we flourish.
 
Hawkeye0202

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big dog cowboy said:
And while it was expected for their to be a learning curve for the secondary players as Zimmer's coverages are notoriously complicated,
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* Does he have the right horses for his system?
* Is he trying to fit square pegs in round holes at some positions?
* Have players bought into his system?
* Players are NOT playing as a unit. I don't think it cuz some players are making business decisions but some have no idea what they are doing and overthinking.

Dez said Zimm wasn't playing to players' strength during preseason. I agree 100%......stop forcing players to do things they are not comfortable doing. This, IMO is why this defense has given up tons of chunk plays after just 4 games.
 
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thunderpimp91

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The cowboys are using a ton of cover 1 & 3 because of the issues in the run game, but it’s to a fault. It looks like they went back to more two deep looks against the Giants but they need to be able to perform that way against better teams as well, especially those teams who can run the read option like we will see this Sunday. Baltimore took advantage of the cowboys bringing a safety down and other teams will too.

My fear with Zimmer so far is he’s shown outdated solutions to stopping modern offenses.
 
McMicah

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big dog cowboy said:
Great article on the Cowboys defense under Zim. It's pretty clear from watching the games he isn't the answer we hoped. Reading this, it's worse than it seems. Considering the upcoming schedule, it could be rough watching our team.

Mike Zimmer's coverage philosophy just isn't working for the 2024 Cowboys
k.d. drummond
Wed, Oct 2, 2024

f84ba63962fbfebdbef67f76afb50d67


It's always tough to make a one-to-one comparison between coaching staffs in the NFL. From year to year, so much changes about team personnel that it's sometimes tough to pinpoint what changed philosophically or what changed out of necessity.

Take the Dallas Cowboys for instance. Last year's starting cornerback tandem of Stephon Gilmore and Daron Bland have played zero snaps for the team in 2024. Can a change in the way the secondary schemes be tethered to a necessary change with Trevon Diggs return and a fifth-round rookie in Caelen Carson playing opposite him? Or is it more about Mike Zimmer implementing what has always been a much different philosophy when it comes to coverages than his predecessor Dan Quinn?

So far in 2024, there's been a major difference between the way the secondaries have been deployed. And while it was expected for their to be a learning curve for the secondary players as Zimmer's coverages are notoriously complicated, it's been a dramatic shift in results.

Are the changes working?

Things have gotten decidedly worse, but the question is are these issues due to other factors, or the philosophy? Everything about the Dallas defense is worse than it was a year ago, from their run stopping ability to their pass rush. So is the coverage calling a result of trying to compensate for what's happening in the front seven or a symptom of the same core issue?

Much more: https://sports.yahoo.com/mike-zimmers-coverage-philosophy-just-210008669.html
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I don’t even know how this article can be written. Baltimore threw 15 total passes (half were screens) and they locked down the browns. They don’t have their starting corners out there for the Giants so they took advantage. That’s natural. Honestly I feel like if Diggs, Bland, and Carson all get out there it’ll be pretty impressive. Hooker is honestly the guy that makes me nervous
 
Flamma

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CyberB0b said:
McCarthy should have been fired, but Quinn wasn’t getting the job done, either. No more retreads.
Click to expand...
Amen. That game was a career killer IMO. I would have liked that X Jets coach as DC. I forget his name. But he took the Jets to two straight AFC championship games. The Jets. One of those years they beat Brady and the Patriots, and Peyton and the Colts to get there. With butt fumble as QB. That alone should make him HOF!
 

Sydla

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Zimmer had some really good defenses in Minnesota at times but he had some really good pieces. Some of those defenses were really talented. He typically had quality DTs. He also typically had really good LB play. And finally, he had some really smart safeties. Harrison Smith, for a time, was the best safety in football.

He doesn't have that here. Now that's not an excuse for him because I tend to think he was more a middling DC who had some really good mixes of talent in MN.

This thing should have been blown up after GB. Bringing in Zimmer was simply Jerry doing what Jerry does. He knew Zimmer, he knew Zimmer wouldn't rock the boat, etc. Perfect hire.
 
Hawkeye0202

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thunderpimp91 said:
My fear with Zimmer so far is he’s shown outdated solutions to stopping modern offenses
Click to expand...
Read a nugget about how the Commander OC putting on a clinic with his play calling puts Daniel and his offense in the best position for positive outcomes. My fear unless something changes, he's going to have a field day with our defense.
 
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