Deshaun Watson has been consistently mediocre since signing with the Cleveland Browns in 2022. But he had almost never been as bad as he was on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys. At least not according to passer rating.
The Mike Zimmer-led defense held Watson to a 51.1 passer rating on the Cowboys' 33-17 win , the quarterback's second lowest mark in his career, per Pro Football Reference . And that's even though Zimmer had a fifth-round rookie cornerback starting in Week 1 of the 2024 regular season.
It was a remarkable first impression from Zimmer, whose defense totaled six sacks, 17 quarterback hits, two interceptions, eight pass deflections, one forced fumble, and five tackles for loss.
But what was really scary about Zimmer's play-calling this weekend is how he went about shutting down Watson.
For the educated eye, it was clear Zimmer wasted no time tapping into his familiar simulated pressures and disguised coverages, constantly moving pieces around post snap and moving Micah Parsons all around the defensive line.
Take one of Eric Kendricks' two sacks as an example. The Cowboys show a one-high look against the Browns' trips formation, with safety Donovan Wilson roaming the box pre-snap. Micah Parsons is in a two-point stance over the center threatening to rush the passer.
At the snap, Wilson immediately gains depth to cover a deep half of the field, while Parsons replaces him underneath in coverage. DE Marshawn Kneeland also drops back into coverage while Zimmer sends Kendricks and nickel cornerback Jourdan Lewis as blitzers through the B-gap, with the former getting to a panicking Watson that runs straight into the defender.
Earlier in the game, another blitz led to an interception from Kendricks: This one was more of a vanilla LB blitz with the veteran attacking the B-gap, which forced the right tackle to honor him while leaving Micah Parsons unblocked on the edge.
Watson consequently threw a hot route, which Parsons tipped up in the air before the football ended up in Kendricks' hands.
Diggs, Parsons: Mike Zimmer is just getting started
Zimmer's dominant game against the Browns is just the beginning of what could be a special year for the 2024 Cowboys defense, which has top-tier talent in Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Trevon Diggs, and more.
At least, that's according to Parsons and Diggs, who both told reporters "y'all haven't seen anything yet," via Patrik Walker from DallasCowboys.com . The All-Pro cornerback said there were over fifty sets in the coordinator's playbook, with the team showing only three in Cleveland.
Now, that should scare the rest of the NFL. The Cowboys defense ranked first in EPA/play allowed between 2021 and 2023. It seemingly upgraded in Zimmer, who can play mind games with a quarterback and is -according to Tom Brady's comments on the broadcast, one of the toughest coaches to figure out in the game. Buckle up, he's just warming up.
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