Since the Dallas Cowboys' Week 1 win over the Cleveland Browns, a lot has been made out of defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer after his defense completely shut down Deshaun Watson and Co . in a game where they sacked the quarterback six times and recorded two interceptions while giving up two third down conversions in 15 attempts.
For someone who was coming in to fill the shoes of Dan Quinn, who had led the Cowboys defense to the top of the heap for three years, Zimmer sure is off to a hot start.
There are several reasons for this, including how talented the Cowboys roster is but also a clear improvement versus the run is evident even one game into the season. However, next Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints will provide a huge test for Zimmer as he'll be challenged in one area he's always been expected to be an upgrade over Quinn: Facing a Shanahan style offense.
It's a matchup bigger than it seems when you consider the context: The Cowboys consistently struggled against this style of offense under Quinn. Meanwhile, Zimmer has historically been good against them yet has been out of the NFL in recent years, raising questions about how his scheme will hold up against such looks. It's a real test where the coach has to prove himself even after a positive start to the year.
When the Cowboys take on the Saints, they will be facing offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, who was the San Francisco 49ers passing game coordinator under Kyle Shanahan in 2023. Additionally, he's the son of Gary Kubiak, who worked under Mike Shanahan, Kyle's father, with the 49ers and Denver Broncos, and majored in the wide zone scheme when he was a head coach at Houston.
Speaking of coaching trees, Kubiak actually worked under Zimmer at Minnesota: He spent two years as quarterbacks coach before being promoted to offensive coordinator in Zimmer's final season with the Vikings. Now, they'll go up against each other in different stages of their careers but it's clear they know each other very well. Who takes advantage of such knowledge?
Zimmer's defense will be put to the test vs Saints
Sure, the Saints aren't commonly perceived as a top squad in the NFC. But in Week 1, Klint immediately showed that Shanahan-esque approach when the Saints pummeled the Carolina Panthers on a 47-10 victory. A quick example: The Saints used pre-snap motion in 88% of their offensive snaps in Week 1, per Joel Moran. They already rank first in the NFL in this stat.
Yes, it was the Panthers. But 47 points are 47 points. Not to mention, New Orleans averaged 6.1 yards per play and went 7-of-13 on third down to go with a perfect red zone touchdown percentage in four trips.
The Saints tapped into play-action as well, as Derek Carr completed 7-of-9 passes in such dropbacks, including one touchdown. This aspect of the game will be particularly intriguing considering the Cowboys completely shut down the Browns' attempts on play-action, holding Watson to one completion in eight attempts.
Speaking of, Carr is a much better quarterback than Watson, another reason to not write the Saints off on this game.
All of the motion and play action means the Cowboys linebackers will be under the spotlight after a remarkable Week 1 performance from Eric Kendricks and DeMarvion Overshown.
"(Overshown) can run really well (...) I think all the linebackers played well," Zimmer told reporters earlier in the week. "A bunch of these guys can run around."
The Cowboys are favorites for almost a touchdown entering Week 2 and understandably so. But make no mistake about it: This is a legit matchup that will provide a legit opportunity for Zimmer to prove he can still slow down a Shanahan-esque offense.
Can't wait for Sunday.
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