What Cowboys fans can expect from Mike Zimmer as their new defensive coordinator

What can Cowboys fans expect from Mike Zimmer? 

1. Disguised coverages: Some crazy stuff. Zimmer loves to catch quarterbacks with their guard down. He'll play a lot of split-field coverages (more on that later) and will rotate safeties often. He'll walk safeties up to the line of scrimmage threatening to blitz only to drop them back into a deep half zone. 
2. Double A-Gap blitzes! Zimmer loves to blitz through the A-gaps with walked up LBs and DBs. But what stems from that is simulated pressures with linebackers that seem they're about to go get the QB only to drop back in coverage. These "sims" go hand in hand with the disguised coverages, resulting in a lethal third down defense. Between 2017-2021, Zimmer's third down defense was #2 in EPA/play.
3. More discipline: Zimmer's approach is militaristic and he'll be a different personality in the coaching staff. Not that Quinn's didn't work - it clearly did in many ways. But Mike will change it up with a much tougher style. 
4. Increased coverage variety: Quinn rarely deviated from his Cover 1 and Cover 3 looks, to a fault sometimes. Zimmer likes to use two-high looks like Cover 2 and quarters coverage and he'll shake things up in that sense. That should make the Cowboys defense more multiple.
5. Bon appétit, Mazi: The Cowboys asked 2023 first-round draft pick Mazi Smith to drop his weight so he could be a leaner defensive tackle. That's being run back with Zimmer, who will likely want Mazi to be a nose tackle. Shocker.

For more details on Zimmer's scheme, check out the below article I put together before news broke on the former Vikings head coach getting the job: