Mike Zimmer got to test drive his newly refined defense with the Cowboys this Sunday and he did not disappoint. With an incredible showing of 2 interceptions, 6 sacks, 6 tackles for a loss, and double-digit quarterback hits, the Dallas Cowboys defense had a lot to celebrate.
The most exciting part of it all? Zimmer’s likely to do it all again this upcoming Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.
Mike Zimmer and Cowboys Defense Dominate in Cleveland
Defensive Line Play
What was incredible about the defense has to start with the defensive line. Both Micah Parsons and Demarcus Lawrence did an exceptional job of putting pressure on the quarterback early on. Deshaun Watson struggled to get the game going in that first half and a big piece of that is due to these two guys.
The defensive tackle play can be stepped up a little bit more to be pivotal. Jordan Phillips was able to break through the line and clean up the pressure with a sack, but even more plays like that against the Saints would show a locked-in DLine.
Linebacker Mayhem
If anyone was questioning the addition of a player like Eric Kendricks to the Dallas Cowboys defense, they aren’t now.
Kendricks came onto the team well aware of the Zimmer defense mentality since Kendricks played for Zimmer during his time with the Minnesota Vikings. All that time together surely paid off because Kendricks crushed it in his first game in navy blue, creating 2 sacks and a tackle for a loss, as well as his awesome interception tipped by Parsons.
A player who was even more astonishing was the once-injured DeMarvion Overshown. Overshown led the defense in total tackles with a sack of his own. Clearly, it seems as though his ACL injury is long behind him and we get to see a guy who has the capacity to shut down the run.
There isn’t much room for improvement for these guys. They played dynamically and owned the field the moment they stepped on it. There’s no chance the Saints change that on Sunday.
Beasts in the Backfield
The corners and safeties didn’t get many highlights this past game, but it’s mainly because they did their job. They stayed on their guys, preventing any exceptionally long passes or yards after the catch.
Trevon Diggs, in his first game since the ACL tear last year, caught a ball for an interception, one of many to be expected this season.
Jourdan Lewis also played a really great game, breaking up some key plays and making tackles when needed. The same could be said about rookie Caelen Carson, who stepped up well in DaRon Bland’s spot and shut down Amari Cooper from making major plays on two occasions.
What Mike Zimmer and the Cowboys Defense Can Expect Against Saints
When the Cowboys host the Saints this week, they will be playing a geared-up team.
The Saints had their way with the Panthers last week with an incredible 47 points.
This Cowboys defense will need to prove their ability to shut down the run, something Carolina failed to do. New Orleans rushed for a high 180 yards. If anything is going to be ample in this game, it’s their need to shut down that run game before it begins, similar to how they did with the Browns.
If the Cowboys can do that, then they have nothing to worry about this season.
Main Photo: [Jeff Lange] – USA Today Sports
