Cowboys: Exactly how Mazi Smith will make life easier as a pass rusher
Chances are you've heard about Dallas Cowboys' first-round pick Mazi Smith not having an illustrious career as a pass rusher at Michigan. The nose tackle finished the 2022 season with just 0.5 sacks. However, the impact he can have as a pass rusher for the Cowboys can be humongous and we'll dive into exactly why […]
Chances are you've heard about Dallas Cowboys' first-round pick Mazi Smith not having an illustrious career as a pass rusher at Michigan. The nose tackle finished the 2022 season with just 0.5 sacks.
However, the impact he can have as a pass rusher for the Cowboys can be humongous and we'll dive into exactly why is that.
When it comes to the 323-pound defensive lineman, it's not about him. It's about the rest of the defense and the impact he'll have on guys like Micah Parsons and even Dan Quinn, who might be about to look at him as their new best buddy.
The Cowboys have mastered the pass rush side of things as they finished last year with the highest pressure rate in the NFL, per Sports Info Solutions. Mostly, it was all about Parsons being a legit Defensive Player of the Year candidate as well as DeMarcus Lawrence and a very deep rotation of pass rushers.
But it was also about defensive coordinator Dan Quinn's pressure designs that were so effective throughout the season. The Cowboys coach consistently found ways to generate favorable looks for his players to thrive.
Let's start by talking about the theory behind quarterback pressure.
When it comes to pass protection, offenses want to do one thing: Generate as many two-on-ones as possible.
Defenses, on the other hand, want to generate as many one-on-ones as possible.
And if that match-up can come against the opponent's weakest offensive lineman, all the better. There are many ways to go about that and Mazi Smith's presence in Dallas unlocks a key one.
In essence, a defense wants to create man-blocking situations and avoid double teams. It's important to understand that double teams aren't pre-determined in the huddle. Offensive lines don't say "You and I have Micah on the next play."
No, instead it is done by "slides." There are many different ways of sliding but we'll keep it simple and stick with the fact that in a "half-slide," one side of the offensive line will step toward one side in pass protection. Mostly, it starts with the center. Below is a diagram of how a half slide to the left would look like.
That way, the tackle gets help from the guard and the center on his side. Assuming the linebackers in the diagram above don't blitz, the offense has three offensive linemen for two defensive linemen.
The Cowboys did a great job last year of manipulating offensive lines into sliding one way or the other or even keeping the center occupied and keeping him from sliding in certain directions.
Let's look at an example below.
In this play against the New York Giants, the Cowboys are overloading the offense's left side with DeMarcus Lawrence, Anthony Barr, and Sam Williams from the outside to the inside. To the right side of the offense, Donovan Wilson is threatening pressure while lined up between the center and the guard with Chauncey Golston and Micah Parsons next to him.
Wilson's positioning demands the center honors him, meaning the center can't slide toward the clear mismatch, which is Lawrence vs the left guard. Instead, he has to work to Donovan Wilson or the safety has a clear path to the quarterback and the sack.
However, Wilson immediately drops back in pass coverage, leaving the left guard alone against Lawrence, who breaks up the play. Notice how taking the center away from the desired mismatch is the key to the play, which you can see below.
The problem is, however, the Cowboys are lining up six men on the line of scrimmage to achieve the effect. Sometimes, that's not viable. In fact, consider the following stats per Sports Info Solutions:
- When blitzing: Cowboys pass defense was the 16th best in EPA/play
- When NOT blitzing: Cowboys pass defense was the 2nd best in EPA/play
In other words, the Cowboys must find ways to generate those one-on-one matchups for Micah and D-Law without committing second-level players and defensive backs in simulated pressures (like Wilson's in the play above) or in straight-up blitzes.
How do you go about that? Well, putting a massive nose tackle like Mazi Smith on top of the center helps. He can occupy the center, cross his face, and essentially take him wherever he wants to while his teammates shine by targeting the opponent's weakest link.
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