5 reasons why Mike Zimmer is the right man for the Cowboys' defensive coordinator job in 2024
The Dallas Cowboys' search for a defensive coordinator to replace Dan Quinn continues throughout Super Bowl week and likely candidates have risen to the top. With Joe Whitt Jr. out of the picture, the Cowboys could still be looking at in-house candidates like Al Harris and Aden Durde but they've also interviewed former head coaches […]
The Dallas Cowboys' search for a defensive coordinator to replace Dan Quinn continues throughout Super Bowl week and likely candidates have risen to the top.
With Joe Whitt Jr. out of the picture, the Cowboys could still be looking at in-house candidates like Al Harris and Aden Durde but they've also interviewed former head coaches Ron Rivera and Mike Zimmer.
On Monday, A to Z Sports' own Will Steele revealed he's heard that it's the Joneses pushing for Zimmer to get the job, which isn't a surprise considering they haven't been shy about their affinity for him since he coached Dallas' defense in the early 2000s.
I gotta say, the more I learn about Zimmer the more I'm into the idea. In this post, we're diving into five reasons he could be the right man for the job as we await the Cowboys' final decision ahead of Super Bowl LVIII.
1. Cowboys would still have an aggressive defense
This is a big one for me. The Cowboys can't flip the mindset of this unit upside down if they're indeed going "all-in" in 2024. And even though his aggressiveness manifests itself differently than Dan Quinn's, Zimmer isn't afraid to turn up the heat in two particular ways:
- Aggressive coverage rotations and disguises
- Aggressive approach to blitzing
Particularly, Zimmer is famous for putting two linebackers over the A-gaps and threatening opponents' pass protection schemes with a lot of stress on the center. But he's far from predictable, running overload blitzes to the sides and keeping quarterbacks guessing post snap.
Below is a great example of a play where the Vikings show a coverage and threaten with a blitzing linebacker only to change the picture at the last moment for the sack.
The aggression is consistent when watching Zimmer defenses and that should be seen as a big positive for the Cowboys if they do hire him. With the type of athletes Dallas has on defense, including Micah Parsons, being aggressive should be a non-negotiable for whoever comes in and coaches the defense.
It is the single biggest reason why I'd be in on Zimmer if it comes to fruition.
2. More split-field coverages for Cowboys
Although Quinn did a lot of great stuff in the three years he was with the Cowboys, I do believe his scheme was too reliant on the same type of coverages, mainly Cover 1 and Cover 3.
Rarely did the Cowboys use two-high defensive looks like quarters coverage (which is all the rage in today's NFL) or Cover 2. I strongly believe tapping into that will go a long way for Dallas as it'll give them more multiplicity to succeed against some of the best offenses in the league.
Two-high defenses are better versus motion and shifts, a staple from the Kyle Shanahan coaching tree offenses, which gave Quinn a lot of trouble.
3. Mike Zimmer has shown he can evolve
One of the big problems with the two-high defensive shells mentioned above is that they can lead to struggles versus the run as you're playing with light boxes.
Zimmer has shown he can evolve though and even hired Karl Scott from Alabama in 2021, who was probably able to provide insight into countering such a weakness like Nick Saban's teams did with the tite front.
Also, Zimmer was consulting with Deion Sanders at Jackson State in 2022. If he was keeping up with the college game, chances are he is far from antiquated even at 67 years old.
4. Third down king
The blitzes we've discussed above and the unique coverages are not just for show.
Between 2017 and 2021, the Vikings had the second best defense in the league per EPA/play on third down, per RBSDM. If Zimmer stops the run on early downs and you need to drop back, good luck handling all that he throws at you.
5. Well-coached, tough units
You and I both know the Cowboys have struggled with penalties among other things. With Quinn as their defensive coordinator, the team had a friendly coach leading the pack. Now, I'm not saying that's wrong, such a style works.
But Zimmer's tough militaristic approach might be something this team needs and something that could rub off on the entire roster. I wouldn't mind some hard-nosed tactics being applied on a Cowboys team whose motivation will need to be at an all-time high given they will know no regular season success will matter in the slightest.
Cowboys star Micah Parsons sends strong message to front office
He didn’t hold back.
