The Cowboys are expected to hire Mike Zimmer as their defensive coordinator

[zrinkill]

My wife just found out about this. Her response?

ISN'T THAT THE VILAGE IDIOT WE RAN OUT OF TOWN?

Was she a member of GROZ?

 

[blueblood70]

Tell her that men grow through mistakes...

Well isn't that how the NFL carousel of coaches work I mean the pool is pretty small and 75% of the NFL just rehired retreads.... It's a vicious circle that most teams keep grabbing the same guys ones fired on one team he gets a job and sometimes a promotion on another team...

There are many people around here that wanted Dan Quinn to stay and now he's the head coach at Washington who hires kliff Kingsbury and Joe went those are guys we allowed to leave I mean didn't the Eagles hire Fangio and Moore didn't we run Kellen Moore out of here how are these guys getting jobs if Jerry's the only guy rehiring them?

 

[blueblood70]

Well you were going to crap on whomever they hired so nobody cares about you.

I mean this fan base is like that anyway man it's not split down the middle it's like 33% * 3 it's split into thirds so no matter what there was gonna be an angry group an unhappy group no matter if we kept Dan Quinn got rid of him and whoever we replaced him with a whole bunch of people are gonna not be happy about it no matter the move whether it's with players whether it's with coaches we're split into thirds...

So we're always gonna have these debates and some of these threads are gonna spiral out of control it happens all the time on Facebook... Everyone's taking a hard stance and I don't think anyone's ever gonna win we have to just look at this as let's talk about this in December we'll know whether this was a good move or not with results here not whatever was done in the past just here what will Mike Zimmer do for this defense...

I'm indifferent I really didn't care who they hired I just wanna see the results....

 

[CCBoy]

But what does Zimmer’s scheme look like? Let’s take a deep dive into how his front seven operates.

So many simulated pressures​

The pass rush has become more important than ever in recent years, as the talent gap between pass rushers and pass protectors has become wildly unbalanced in favor of the defense. However, with the corresponding uptick in lightning-fast passing concepts and intentional creation of YAC opportunities on offense, the notion of blitzing to generate a pass rush has become riskier than ever.

Zimmer practically built his career out of generating pressure without blitzing. Simulated pressures have been around for ages, but Zimmer - as well as a multitude of Ravens defensive coaches in the early 2000’s - was one of the first to fully embrace the concept. The most basic definition of a simulated pressure is having a non-traditional pass rusher go after the quarterback while dropping a traditional pass rusher into coverage; however, as the NFL has become more positionless in recent years, the application of the term can often be applied to any look that bluffs a blitz but actually only sends four rushers.

The thinking behind this is that offenses usually will make adjustments to their pass protection based on the look that a defense shows before the snap. Different offenses have different rules for handling a suspected blitzer, but simulated pressures are designed to trick the offense into adjusting their pass protection scheme to account for a player that isn’t actually blitzing. This then creates more favorable matchups for the real pass rushers, and coaches like Zimmer will often pair this with defensive line stunts to exploit the weaknesses of the pass protection that were created by the fake blitz look.

Simulated pressures have taken the league by storm in the last few years, but Zimmer has been the king of simulated pressures for decades now. He makes frequent use of fake blitz looks and stunts that wreak havoc on the offensive line, and he often succeeds in getting pressure on the quarterback without actually blitzing. Zimmer’s defenses are usually near the bottom of the league in blitz rate (defined as more than four pass rushers) even though he frequently sends linebackers or defensive backs after the quarterback.

https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...nsive-coordinator-scheme-pass-rush-techniques

 

[CCBoy]

The split mug front​

When talking about Zimmer and simulated pressures, the best example is the split mug front, something that became a calling card of his and has since become a staple for NFL defenses all over. The split mug front, also known as the double A gap front, features both linebackers lined up in the A gaps and the slot corner and one safety walked up to the line of scrimmage, threatening to blitz ... Oftentimes, this is determined by the offensive line. A frequent call from the split mug front is the center read, where the two linebackers in the A gaps read the center and determine their pass rush from there: if the center turns to the linebacker on his right, the one on his left rushes while the other drops into coverage, and vice versa. Zimmer also has a similar read for outside blitzes from either the slot corner or safety. This makes it extremely difficult for the offense to read things pre-snap and - when executed well - makes it impossible for the offense to be right post-snap.

Since Zimmer’s scheme often uses aggressive, attacking techniques along the defensive line, the coach has frequently sought out bigger bodies to aid in run defense. When Zimmer first became the Vikings head coach, he went out and signed the 330 pound Linval Joseph to plug the middle of the defensive line. Joseph served as Zimmer’s nose tackle for six seasons, at which time he was replaced by the 350 pound Michael Pierce. It’s likely that one of Zimmer’s first priorities will be getting Mazi Smith into a workout routine with trainers named Ben and Jerry. Zimmer also prefers more heft at the linebacker position, a departure from Quinn’s preference for leaner second-level players. While Zimmer makes frequent use of nickel packages with just two linebackers, he primarily relied on the duo of Anthony Barr (who hovered around 245 and 255 pounds) and Eric Kendricks (who was usually around 235 pounds). The Cowboys were fairly light at the position, both from a numbers perspective and a size perspective, but Zimmer will likely look to change that moving forward.

https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...nsive-coordinator-scheme-pass-rush-techniques

 

[Risen Star]

Not so fast, Sally.



Maybe Jerry will Dan Reeves him with mandatory hours worked and Zimmer will bolt.

 

[WillieBeamen]

No...but a guy with a better track record of good defenses was. What's your point?

Lol

 

[Alexander]

Not so fast, Sally.



Maybe Jerry will Dan Reeves him with mandatory hours worked and Zimmer will bolt.

I cannot even begin to measure how chaotic things would be if that somehow happened.

 

[Risen Star]

I cannot even begin to measure how chaotic things would be if that somehow happened.

Zimmer's too desperate not to comply. Reeves had a backbone.

Still, there has to be labor laws against making someone crank out 60 plus hour work weeks around Prescott.

 

[Rockport]

However, the coverage schemes that Zimmer runs are truly what makes his defense special. Zimmer began his coaching career as a defensive backs coach, so he tends to devote extra time to crafting his coverage schemes. Let’s break down what exactly that looks like.

“You better be able to play man coverage”​

Zimmer’s coverage schemes are built on their versatility, but one key trait that the coach always seeks out is an ability to play press man coverage. Zimmer loves to run press man coverage behind his creative simulated pressure looks, as it makes things that much harder for quarterbacks to diagnose. And while he’s not opposed to zone coverage, Zimmer definitely prioritizes man coverage ability.

https://www.bloggingtheboys.com/202...zimmer-coverage-schemes-defensive-coordinator

The importance of safety play​

Safety play has always been a key component of Zimmer’s defensive schemes. His first stint as a coordinator came in Dallas, where he worked with the likes of Darren Woodson and Roy Williams. Later, in Cincinnati, Zimmer similarly built his coverage schemes around Reggie Nelson and George Iloka. Upon taking the Vikings head coaching job, Zimmer was able to coach multiple Pro Bowls out of Harrison Smith. Much like Vic Fangio, whose scheme has taken the league by storm as of late, Zimmer often lines both of his safeties up deep and puts a lot on their plate. The two safety positions are practically interchangeable for Zimmer, as both will be asked to handle a wide variety of different roles and alignments. Zimmer frequently rotates his safeties after the snap, and loves to use them as potential pass rushers too.

Multiple, disguised coverages​

As previously mentioned, Zimmer puts a priority on versatility on the back end. He has a very strong preference for press man coverage, and it’s very common to have two safeties split deep before the snap, but Zimmer often commits to changing things up after the snap. He frequently rotates his safeties, drops players into coverage after showing a blitz, and generally tries to make the quarterback think as much as possible after snapping the ball. Zimmer makes frequent use of quarters coverage, which drops four defenders back deep, and has several different variations on it. Depending on the offense’s alignment, it can be split into quarters on one side and traditional Cover 2 on the other side (often referred to as Cover 6) or running a version of zone on one half of the field and traditional man coverage on the other half.

Zimmer also incorporates pattern matching concepts into his coverage techniques. Pattern matching was made famous by Bill Belichick and Nick Saban - Zimmer and his disciples have often hired defensive backs coaches from those trees to best teach it - and, in simplest terms, it combines zone and man principles to allow defenders to adjust their coverage based on the route combinations being run. It’s much more complex than that, which is why the coaches that are teaching it are essential, but Zimmer has made extensive use of the concept in his coverage schemes for quite a while now.

Great post.

 

[Rockport]

I mean this fan base is like that anyway man it's not split down the middle it's like 33% * 3 it's split into thirds so no matter what there was gonna be an angry group an unhappy group no matter if we kept Dan Quinn got rid of him and whoever we replaced him with a whole bunch of people are gonna not be happy about it no matter the move whether it's with players whether it's with coaches we're split into thirds...

So we're always gonna have these debates and some of these threads are gonna spiral out of control it happens all the time on Facebook... Everyone's taking a hard stance and I don't think anyone's ever gonna win we have to just look at this as let's talk about this in December we'll know whether this was a good move or not with results here not whatever was done in the past just here what will Mike Zimmer do for this defense...

I'm indifferent I really didn't care who they hired I just wanna see the results....

No, no, no, no, no…the CZ fanbase is different and definitely not 33%. Ok, there’s 33% of haters who do nothing but come here and crap on anything Cowboys, then there’s the 33% who hate Dak and post nothing but “I hate Dak” posts. Then there’s the 33% who follow along with the other 66% which leaves the 1% like me and others.

 

[JeffInDC]

Lol

Again, not answering the question. But, as usual, you feel that when YOU make a point that it’s the only valid point.

 

[_sturt_]

It should not surprise anyone if Zimmer got the head coaching gig, if the Cowboys got rid of McCarthy after this season.

So, in your world, the team could fail to meet expectations, but the DC of the failed team will... get promoted.

Okay then.

 

[MikeT22]

So, in your world, the team could fail to meet expectations, but the DC of the failed team will... get promoted.

Okay then.

Doesn’t make much sense but then look how Garrett became HC.

 

[jwitten82]

No, no, no, no, no…the CZ fanbase is different and definitely not 33%. Ok, there’s 33% of haters who do nothing but come here and crap on anything Cowboys, then there’s the 33% who hate Dak and post nothing but “I hate Dak” posts. Then there’s the 33% who follow along with the other 66% which leaves the 1% like me and others.

Yes, you do fall in the 1%, that's the percentage of fans who quit on their teams. Sad

 

[Rockport]

Yes, you do fall in the 1%, that's the percentage of fans who quit on their teams. Sad

No, you mean the 1% who hasn’t. Let’s get that clear.

 

[jwitten82]

No, you mean the 1% who hasn’t. Let’s get that clear.

No, only 1% quit. You quit after the 49ers game

 

[Alexander]

The main concern needs to be his staff. Right now, he has no DL coach and really no right hand. Most of his staff with the Vikings are scattered around the league.

 

[Mr Cowboy]

The guy knows D and brings a no nonsense approach. We'll see what he's able to accomplish here. This is really no surprise!!

The guy was terrible when he was here before. The most 200 yard rushing games, the most rushing first downs in a game. We could hardly wait to get rid of him and here we are again! Terrible hire, maybe Butch Davis or Dave Campo can come to our rescue if Zimm doesnt work out.

 

[Mr Cowboy]

Do you prefer Durde? Manual? Wink?

You have to be realistic about the options

So you think "settling,"on Zimmer is the best option available. Staley, Viable, Rivera and many others are out there, and they decide on the guy who could never stop the run. His DBs play 15 yards off the ball and are not allowed to play the ball. We were consistently bad at turnovers the last time we were here, especially interception! Zimmer's teams have never won anything. At least Quinn made it to the SB. Remember the GROZ days? I do!