Why Cowboys DC Mike Zimmer will be improvement over Dan Quinn

Mike Zimmer is entering his first season as Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator, and team insiders believe he will be an upgrade over Dan Quinn.

Josh Sanchez | Jun 29, 2024

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

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Mike Zimmer is set to take over the Dallas Cowboys defense in 2024.

Zimmer, the Minnesota Vikings' head coach from 2014-2021 before serving as an analyst and consultant under Deion Sanders at Jackson State and Colorado, replaces Dan Quinn, who left Dallas to accept the Washington Commanders head coaching job in the offseason.

The 68-year-old will bring a different scheme to Big D, and team insiders believe it will be an upgrade over Quinn's defense.

Jon Machota and Saad Yousuf of The Athletic spoke in a roundtable with the New York Times to share their thoughts on the upcoming season. Yousuf pointed to Zimmer's coaching style as a major difference between him and Quinn.

... Whether you talk to other coaches on the staff or players in the locker room, you get the idea that Zimmer has a way he likes things to be done. He’s known for his fierce, hard-nosed style of coaching, and that’s different from Quinn as well, but schematically, I expect to see some notable differences, too.
- Saad Yousuf, The Athletic

Those echo statements made by Cowboys star edge rusher Micah Parsons after he showed up at The Star for minicamp.

“I think it will be pretty cool because obviously old-school mindset, old-school mentality. I think he’s had a lot of great players, but he ain’t ever have a Micah before. It will be fun, and I think it’s going to be unique," Parsons said at the time.

Zimmer's hiring also led to the Cowboys' signing of linebacker Eric Kendricks, who will help bring Zimmer's vision to fruition. The veteran linebacker will wear the green dot for the Cowboys this season and relay the plays to the rest of the defense during games.

If the rest of the Cowboys defenders can buy into Zimmer's scheme, it could prove to be a home run hire for Dallas that helps get the team over the hump.

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