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The Zimmer Report - Troubles Abounding
This week we ask if everyone is fully committed to playing defense right now.
Bob Sturm
Oct 16, 2024
Here we go. Our objectives today will be:
No Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Eric Kendricks, DaRon Bland, Marshawn Kneeland, and Caelen Carson.
None were available for this game and before we get lost in the weeds of what is certainly one of the worst performances we have ever seen from a Dallas defense, we must remember reality.
This is not the defense. Everyone has injuries, but to be fair, that is a ton of talent unavailable to this defense. It’s already challenging enough for Mike Zimmer to try to slow down an offense that may not have a weak spot at the moment and was at full health.
Detroit is an elite offense and it shows. Dallas is a very poor defense and now without that many key players, they were out-matched from the get-go. So, for those who read this review of the defense in 10 years, the Cowboys were down quite badly from injuries and therefore, the record should reflect it.
Now, on to the reality check. You might be asking – like I was – how many times in Cowboys history that began in 1960, has the team ever allowed that many points (47), that many yards (492), and zero takeaways in one game?
I figured it had never happened before, but no, it actually happened in 2020 in a game I also attended – against the Browns – as Mike Nolan’s defense was an absolute disaster on a level rarely seen.
Well, now, that has been equaled. The Browns game was even worse, but this one gave it quite a run for its money.
Again, it is hard to articulate how dominant this matchup was. The Lions offense versus the Cowboys defense was just not a fair fight. We have seen some ugly drive charts in these last four home games, but this one is incredible.
So, to review:
The Packers scored touchdowns on six of their first seven drives for 42 points.
The Saints scored touchdowns on their first six drives for 41 points.
The Ravens scored touchdowns on four of their first six drives for 28 points.
The Lions scored on their first nine drives for 47 points. They never scored consecutive touchdowns, but to essentially score on their first nine drives is surely a record that will be tough to ever match.
As our databox will verify, the Lions dominated in every way possible.
The other item that is really an issue is that these games when you cannot stop the run – all the home games this year – are also games where you are losing the turnover battle. There is just no chance this team can not take the ball away and give up that many yards and compete in this league against good offenses.
And, it seems to be somewhat opponent-driven. If an opponent has a good offense, the Cowboys can be ripped to shreds. Which is why we shudder a bit about the 49ers game next. Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Houston are headed this way as well and they probably all qualify as imposing attacks.
Run out of the building
The following clip contains eight different explosive runs (10+) and the different ways the defense is being attacked on the ground is stunning. The displacement of the defensive line is becoming a dire expectation, but then we see the linebackers out of position and the help not arriving in time. Against a team like Baltimore or Detroit who run the ball successfully against everyone, this Dallas defense has been found out.
Word is out and it spreads fast in this league.
I know we put a montage together, but there are two runs in particular that demonstrate how dire things are.
This first one is the David Montgomery TD run to open the scoring. Just look at this again.
The pile of bodies on the ground and the tossing aside of Mazi Smith and Osa Odighizuwa is really alarming. Mazi popped a few weeks ago, but he just cannot take that on and the linebackers behind him are easily discarded. It does look like they need 35-Marist Liufau or 99-Chauncey Golston to have that inside gap, but regardless, it is so easy for Montgomery to get to the safety that it is simply not a fair fight.
Then this next one is after halftime and this might be even worse.
The Lions completely humiliated the entire front seven here. This is a 4-3 defense that cannot even touch the runner until he is 15 yards downfield. Guys, the problem is so bad that it is tough to suggest a solution. We thought they might have had things headed in the right direction, but now we are thinking that the Giants and Steelers just did not have the group to expose you. Detroit definitely did.
Here is the thing about these runs as it pertains to what we want to do here. We want to inform and enlighten on what the defense is doing wrong tactically and who is busting on their assignments.
But, football sometimes is even more simple than that and this might be one of those occasions. If you lack the requisite physicality to compete and not be thrown to the ground, it really doesn’t matter if you possess the knowledge of which gap you are to police. In other words, you could put several of us on the field and if it is simply pointing at the gap we are “watching,” we can all play LB in the NFL. The issue is none of us – I am willing to suggest – has the physical makeup to do something about any of it. And unfortunately, the defense the Cowboys are putting on the field right now is better than us, but not good enough to offer a team like Baltimore or Detroit enough resistance to entertain a tactical tweak that might make it more effective. They are just outclassed.
The Troubling Trevon Diggs Tape
Which leads us to the disconcerting issue that jumped out at me on tape. The least we can expect is 11 guys selling out everything to be as good as you can be. But, I don’t know if that is happening and the players in question are also some of your biggest investments.
Trevon Diggs has a $97 million contract and is a player I have always liked. That said, he has a reputation of not loving physical contact and there has been this idea thrown out there by league folks several times over his career. Sometimes, you can survive a corner who is finesse. This is not one of those times.
I have defended him through his career because the good has always outweighed the bad, but on Sunday, I saw four different occasions that really bothered me.
Does this team have a culture issue? Well, if your best players lead by example, we can deny it.
But, if your best players are looking for the easy way out when you need them leading the team through a crisis, we have a real issue. Take a look and see if you think this is a player who is bought in and fighting the fight with all of his might:
We can debate whether all four are big violations of the commitment required of a team leader, but we probably cannot debate that this is bothersome for the only guy on the defense that is making over a million bucks a week. Set the tone and show the way is what you must expect of any player that you pay that amount to. If those guys tap out, that message spreads fast.
Perhaps he is nursing an injury we don’t know about but that tape is definitely not great. I hope the coaches see that and demand better. When you get accused of playing country club football, people will think about snaps where your highest compensated do not look fully engaged. If that is the best he has got right now, I would probably make him inactive in the next game to let the team know that is not acceptable from anyone.
As the kids say, that tape is a very bad look.
The Lions Infinite Explosives
The Lions did whatever they wanted on the ground, but we are also disappointed to say that this in no way prevented them from slicing and dicing in the passing game. That is how you get points on nine straight drives and nearly 500 yards of offense in the NFL in a road game. Just ridiculous.
1Q - 10:41 - 3-5-DET 35 - J.Goff pass deep right to T.Patrick to DAL 23 for 42 yards
For the Cowboys under Mike Zimmer to have a snowball’s chance, you have to win on third down. But, without pass rushers, how do you do that? This is a 3rd and 5 and the first third down for the Lions in the game. Dallas decides to not blitz and they get no pressure at all. The Lions have four weapons that are scary and you might rank them in different orders. Amon Ra St Brown, Sam LaPorta, and Jameson Williams will surely be 1-3 in some order and Tim Patrick will be the 4th. So, Dallas smartly puts Diggs on Williams and doubles LaPorta. So, they take a chance with St Brown and then leave Patrick in a single situation with Amari Oruwariye – you are down two corners still – and no safety close. So, Goff with no pressure just lofts a ball to Patrick and gains 42 yards. Zimmer will properly tell you that you cannot blitz because then there are too many matchup losses. But, you cannot double everyone. And so the Lions pick their favorite choice.
I am going to come back to the second quarter flea flicker and skip to the third quarter.
3Q - 12:42 - 3-8-DAL 37 - J.Goff pass deep right to J.Williams for 37 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
This one is just great offense. Again, 3rd and 8, but Dallas wants to play some coverage and hope someone gets to Goff. They don’t. The Lions are in trips-right and a bunch release where Williams is being crowded by Diggs. It is a quick snap because you want confusion when you run bunch routes to confuse which corner goes with whom. Williams then runs a vertical where Diggs is going to get caught in traffic slightly and that is all it takes against a burner. Malik Hooker, the deep safety, should be able to help, but it isn’t a true vertical, it is bent outside to the pylon and Hooker is out-leveraged even if he knows the route. The throw has to be perfect and Goff isn’t missing those throws. The only way you get him off on these beauties is by hitting him and he wasn’t getting hit here. Carl Lawson is close, but that won’t cut it.
3Q - 8:40 - 1-10-DET 41 - J.Goff pass deep left to K.Raymond pushed ob at DAL 21 for 38 yards
This is a drive starting snap and beautiful use of the Yankee Concept combined with 12 personnel on a day of running the ball at a defense. You see, they are now trying to deal with power runs so on 1st and 10, they know they have to be ready for a David Montgomery smash. Instead, the Post/Dig of the Yankee. What is that?
But, then, the Lions showed they were not interested in letting off the gas. They don’t like Dallas and if they are going to be a San Francisco cover band, they must make sure they rub Dallas’ nose in it just for sport.
So, they got into their trick plays.
The Lions bag of tricks opened several times
The following is four different plays that we would say fall under the “trick play” or at least oddity heading. Yes, we do think that moving a tackle out to wide receiver and a hook and lateral to your RT both qualify.
All of the 6 OL is a call back to December, of course, and in the NFL you don’t even get mad when a team wants to make a point like this. You simply try to stop them or deal with it.
Let’s go back to the flea-flicker, shall we? Last one, I promise.
2Q - 11:49 - 1-10-DET 48 - J.Goff pass deep right to S.LaPorta for 52 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
OK, there is a lot here. This is the same play that the 49ers hit the Cowboys with in Week 5 last year to George Kittle and that was also used by the Lions last year, too, on the exact same day against Carolina. There are a few slight wrinkles, but it is the same play and this is where football nerds (like me) get really excited. The wrinkle here is motioning St Brown to do the end around from motion. But, otherwise, the TE wheel is the same. It is best on 1st down because you predict the Cowboys in zone and probably Cover 3. Then the WR clears out the side with a vertical and the TE is in open space against a chasing LB.
Now, I put all three of those plays on the same reel below. Enjoy. Or don’t, maybe.
Watch the center in each play peel back to pass protect the backside edge. They all do it. Football is awesome when you have a great scheme and that is why many of you want Ben Johnson in Dallas next year.
I don’t want to spoil that idea by saying Jerry never is going to hire an outsider who has never been a head coach, but there is little chance.
SPLASH PLAYS - WEEK 6
We have gone long enough, but here are the splash plays vs Detroit and as you can see, there weren’t hardly any.
And here is the season leaderboard and it isn’t great.
OK. Bye week time. It can’t get worse. Unless you have to go to San Francisco next.
Gulp.
This week we ask if everyone is fully committed to playing defense right now.
Bob Sturm
Oct 16, 2024
Here we go. Our objectives today will be:
- Evaluate the overall defensive effort
- Run out of the building
- The Troubling Trevon Diggs Tape
- The Lions bag of tricks is opened
- Look at some All-22 film
No Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Eric Kendricks, DaRon Bland, Marshawn Kneeland, and Caelen Carson.
None were available for this game and before we get lost in the weeds of what is certainly one of the worst performances we have ever seen from a Dallas defense, we must remember reality.
This is not the defense. Everyone has injuries, but to be fair, that is a ton of talent unavailable to this defense. It’s already challenging enough for Mike Zimmer to try to slow down an offense that may not have a weak spot at the moment and was at full health.
Detroit is an elite offense and it shows. Dallas is a very poor defense and now without that many key players, they were out-matched from the get-go. So, for those who read this review of the defense in 10 years, the Cowboys were down quite badly from injuries and therefore, the record should reflect it.
Now, on to the reality check. You might be asking – like I was – how many times in Cowboys history that began in 1960, has the team ever allowed that many points (47), that many yards (492), and zero takeaways in one game?
I figured it had never happened before, but no, it actually happened in 2020 in a game I also attended – against the Browns – as Mike Nolan’s defense was an absolute disaster on a level rarely seen.
Well, now, that has been equaled. The Browns game was even worse, but this one gave it quite a run for its money.
Again, it is hard to articulate how dominant this matchup was. The Lions offense versus the Cowboys defense was just not a fair fight. We have seen some ugly drive charts in these last four home games, but this one is incredible.
So, to review:
The Packers scored touchdowns on six of their first seven drives for 42 points.
The Saints scored touchdowns on their first six drives for 41 points.
The Ravens scored touchdowns on four of their first six drives for 28 points.
The Lions scored on their first nine drives for 47 points. They never scored consecutive touchdowns, but to essentially score on their first nine drives is surely a record that will be tough to ever match.
As our databox will verify, the Lions dominated in every way possible.
The other item that is really an issue is that these games when you cannot stop the run – all the home games this year – are also games where you are losing the turnover battle. There is just no chance this team can not take the ball away and give up that many yards and compete in this league against good offenses.
And, it seems to be somewhat opponent-driven. If an opponent has a good offense, the Cowboys can be ripped to shreds. Which is why we shudder a bit about the 49ers game next. Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Houston are headed this way as well and they probably all qualify as imposing attacks.
Run out of the building
The following clip contains eight different explosive runs (10+) and the different ways the defense is being attacked on the ground is stunning. The displacement of the defensive line is becoming a dire expectation, but then we see the linebackers out of position and the help not arriving in time. Against a team like Baltimore or Detroit who run the ball successfully against everyone, this Dallas defense has been found out.
Word is out and it spreads fast in this league.
I know we put a montage together, but there are two runs in particular that demonstrate how dire things are.
This first one is the David Montgomery TD run to open the scoring. Just look at this again.
The pile of bodies on the ground and the tossing aside of Mazi Smith and Osa Odighizuwa is really alarming. Mazi popped a few weeks ago, but he just cannot take that on and the linebackers behind him are easily discarded. It does look like they need 35-Marist Liufau or 99-Chauncey Golston to have that inside gap, but regardless, it is so easy for Montgomery to get to the safety that it is simply not a fair fight.
Then this next one is after halftime and this might be even worse.
The Lions completely humiliated the entire front seven here. This is a 4-3 defense that cannot even touch the runner until he is 15 yards downfield. Guys, the problem is so bad that it is tough to suggest a solution. We thought they might have had things headed in the right direction, but now we are thinking that the Giants and Steelers just did not have the group to expose you. Detroit definitely did.
Here is the thing about these runs as it pertains to what we want to do here. We want to inform and enlighten on what the defense is doing wrong tactically and who is busting on their assignments.
But, football sometimes is even more simple than that and this might be one of those occasions. If you lack the requisite physicality to compete and not be thrown to the ground, it really doesn’t matter if you possess the knowledge of which gap you are to police. In other words, you could put several of us on the field and if it is simply pointing at the gap we are “watching,” we can all play LB in the NFL. The issue is none of us – I am willing to suggest – has the physical makeup to do something about any of it. And unfortunately, the defense the Cowboys are putting on the field right now is better than us, but not good enough to offer a team like Baltimore or Detroit enough resistance to entertain a tactical tweak that might make it more effective. They are just outclassed.
The Troubling Trevon Diggs Tape
Which leads us to the disconcerting issue that jumped out at me on tape. The least we can expect is 11 guys selling out everything to be as good as you can be. But, I don’t know if that is happening and the players in question are also some of your biggest investments.
Trevon Diggs has a $97 million contract and is a player I have always liked. That said, he has a reputation of not loving physical contact and there has been this idea thrown out there by league folks several times over his career. Sometimes, you can survive a corner who is finesse. This is not one of those times.
I have defended him through his career because the good has always outweighed the bad, but on Sunday, I saw four different occasions that really bothered me.
Does this team have a culture issue? Well, if your best players lead by example, we can deny it.
But, if your best players are looking for the easy way out when you need them leading the team through a crisis, we have a real issue. Take a look and see if you think this is a player who is bought in and fighting the fight with all of his might:
We can debate whether all four are big violations of the commitment required of a team leader, but we probably cannot debate that this is bothersome for the only guy on the defense that is making over a million bucks a week. Set the tone and show the way is what you must expect of any player that you pay that amount to. If those guys tap out, that message spreads fast.
Perhaps he is nursing an injury we don’t know about but that tape is definitely not great. I hope the coaches see that and demand better. When you get accused of playing country club football, people will think about snaps where your highest compensated do not look fully engaged. If that is the best he has got right now, I would probably make him inactive in the next game to let the team know that is not acceptable from anyone.
As the kids say, that tape is a very bad look.
The Lions Infinite Explosives
The Lions did whatever they wanted on the ground, but we are also disappointed to say that this in no way prevented them from slicing and dicing in the passing game. That is how you get points on nine straight drives and nearly 500 yards of offense in the NFL in a road game. Just ridiculous.
1Q - 10:41 - 3-5-DET 35 - J.Goff pass deep right to T.Patrick to DAL 23 for 42 yards
For the Cowboys under Mike Zimmer to have a snowball’s chance, you have to win on third down. But, without pass rushers, how do you do that? This is a 3rd and 5 and the first third down for the Lions in the game. Dallas decides to not blitz and they get no pressure at all. The Lions have four weapons that are scary and you might rank them in different orders. Amon Ra St Brown, Sam LaPorta, and Jameson Williams will surely be 1-3 in some order and Tim Patrick will be the 4th. So, Dallas smartly puts Diggs on Williams and doubles LaPorta. So, they take a chance with St Brown and then leave Patrick in a single situation with Amari Oruwariye – you are down two corners still – and no safety close. So, Goff with no pressure just lofts a ball to Patrick and gains 42 yards. Zimmer will properly tell you that you cannot blitz because then there are too many matchup losses. But, you cannot double everyone. And so the Lions pick their favorite choice.
I am going to come back to the second quarter flea flicker and skip to the third quarter.
3Q - 12:42 - 3-8-DAL 37 - J.Goff pass deep right to J.Williams for 37 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
This one is just great offense. Again, 3rd and 8, but Dallas wants to play some coverage and hope someone gets to Goff. They don’t. The Lions are in trips-right and a bunch release where Williams is being crowded by Diggs. It is a quick snap because you want confusion when you run bunch routes to confuse which corner goes with whom. Williams then runs a vertical where Diggs is going to get caught in traffic slightly and that is all it takes against a burner. Malik Hooker, the deep safety, should be able to help, but it isn’t a true vertical, it is bent outside to the pylon and Hooker is out-leveraged even if he knows the route. The throw has to be perfect and Goff isn’t missing those throws. The only way you get him off on these beauties is by hitting him and he wasn’t getting hit here. Carl Lawson is close, but that won’t cut it.
3Q - 8:40 - 1-10-DET 41 - J.Goff pass deep left to K.Raymond pushed ob at DAL 21 for 38 yards
This is a drive starting snap and beautiful use of the Yankee Concept combined with 12 personnel on a day of running the ball at a defense. You see, they are now trying to deal with power runs so on 1st and 10, they know they have to be ready for a David Montgomery smash. Instead, the Post/Dig of the Yankee. What is that?
The Lions are an offense with plenty of answers and they did whatever they wanted. They knew the Cowboys would play Cover 3 on 1st and 10 so they could have an eight man box. This concept is a Cover 3 beater as old as time.
But, then, the Lions showed they were not interested in letting off the gas. They don’t like Dallas and if they are going to be a San Francisco cover band, they must make sure they rub Dallas’ nose in it just for sport.
So, they got into their trick plays.
The Lions bag of tricks opened several times
The following is four different plays that we would say fall under the “trick play” or at least oddity heading. Yes, we do think that moving a tackle out to wide receiver and a hook and lateral to your RT both qualify.
All of the 6 OL is a call back to December, of course, and in the NFL you don’t even get mad when a team wants to make a point like this. You simply try to stop them or deal with it.
Let’s go back to the flea-flicker, shall we? Last one, I promise.
2Q - 11:49 - 1-10-DET 48 - J.Goff pass deep right to S.LaPorta for 52 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
OK, there is a lot here. This is the same play that the 49ers hit the Cowboys with in Week 5 last year to George Kittle and that was also used by the Lions last year, too, on the exact same day against Carolina. There are a few slight wrinkles, but it is the same play and this is where football nerds (like me) get really excited. The wrinkle here is motioning St Brown to do the end around from motion. But, otherwise, the TE wheel is the same. It is best on 1st down because you predict the Cowboys in zone and probably Cover 3. Then the WR clears out the side with a vertical and the TE is in open space against a chasing LB.
Now, I put all three of those plays on the same reel below. Enjoy. Or don’t, maybe.
Watch the center in each play peel back to pass protect the backside edge. They all do it. Football is awesome when you have a great scheme and that is why many of you want Ben Johnson in Dallas next year.
I don’t want to spoil that idea by saying Jerry never is going to hire an outsider who has never been a head coach, but there is little chance.
SPLASH PLAYS - WEEK 6
We have gone long enough, but here are the splash plays vs Detroit and as you can see, there weren’t hardly any.
And here is the season leaderboard and it isn’t great.
OK. Bye week time. It can’t get worse. Unless you have to go to San Francisco next.
Gulp.
