Dallas Cowboys DC Mike Zimmer reportedly called plays against the Rams without using his play sheet.
Sunday was the first time that we saw the Dallas Cowboys in action in a very long time, and even though they technically lost, there was a lot of good that we could glean and take away from the outing. Seeing certain players in action, some for the very first time, provided an opportunity to learn this, that and the other.
The preseason is one of those things where you are insanely excited until you are in the middle of it, but ultimately it is a process that we must get through and we have at least begun that.
One of the things that we saw on Sunday was a throwback of sorts as Mike Zimmer returned to coordinating a Dallas Cowboys defense for the first time in about 20 years. A lot has changed about the team, Zimmer himself and the NFL at large since then, but one thing that has not is that he is an old school type of dude.
Just how old school is Zimmer, you ask? Well apparently he called the entire game – you know, the one where Dallas had four interceptions on defense – without using a play sheet.
The plan by Zimmer for Bell is allowing him to play free and it’s off to a sizzling start, and the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator has everyone full bought-in for a variety of reasons including, per Overshown, the fact Zimmer was calling plays against the Rams without looking at his call sheet.
He’d often call the play based upon what he saw from the Rams’ offense in real time.
“It’s the type of defense that he brings and the type of culture that he brings to the team,” said Bell of his new coordinator. “He has a great scheme and we love it. We love it. It’s gonna work, it’s gonna work.
“We’re putting it in and it’s fresh, and we have our edits about it but when you see it in real life, it works.”
If it isn’t obvious this story from the mothership was primarily focusing on Markquese Bell given that Sunday was a return of sorts for him as well, his to the safety position after playing linebacker under Dan Quinn.
Bell had the first interception of Dallas’ four, by the way.
MARKQUESE BELL INT
(via @dallascowboys) pic.twitter.com/KbtHpPHGL0
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It is worth reiterating that this was a preseason game and Zimmer would probably not have been as loose in terms of operating without a play sheet if things really counted, but interesting is this?
Obviously on some level every game is a matter of doing what he did – calling the game in response to what is happening in real time – just with a bit more organization happening in parallel as a part of the overall process.
Whether or not Zimmer operates like this moving forward remains to be seen, but for now he seems to have a system and process that his players are enjoying.