New Cowboys coach wins fans over with NSFW critique of Mazi Smith

New Cowboys coach wins fans over with NSFW critique of Mazi Smith

New Cowboys coach wins fans over with NSFW critique of Mazi Smith

This Cowboys coach is a breath of fresh air after

Dan Quinn. While several offensive players for

the Dallas Cowboys have surprised everyone in

training camp, the big story heading into camp

was how different Mike Zimmer’s defence would

appear. Numerous Cowboys defenders have

praised Zimmer’s style of instruction. The ability

of Zimmer to mask appearances and free up pass

rushers is something they value. Pass rushers

under Dan Quinn depended only on speed to

outrun the opposition. That was not a

complicated enough technique to confuse

offences. But Zimmer is all about managing

space and gap discipline. Not only has Zimmer’s

scheme demonstrated versatility, but it also

demands accountability, which has been a

refreshing change of pace. Both new defensive

line coach Jeff Zgonina—who actually

transferred from Washington—and defensive

run-game coordinator Paul Guenther have had a

significant influence. Zgonina has quickly grown

to be a favourite with Cowboys writers. His

contagious intensity has permeated every

practice. Zgonina’s direct and assertive tutoring

style may require some adjustment. Mazi Smith,

who received an NSFW earful from Zgonina

during individual drills, will be the first to attest

to that.

Cowboys new DL coach Jeff Zgonina unloads on Mazi Smith in training camp

Zgonina, a former 17-year NFL veteran who won

a Super Bowl with the Rams, appears to be a

capable player in the trenches. Joking aside,

Zgonina’s straightforward tutoring approach

might be Smith’s greatest asset. He wants to see

every player performing at their best and not

missing a play or drill rep. It was obvious that

Zgonina was annoyed by Smith’s tardiness in

putting his hands inside. That was one of the

issues that Smith dealt with during his first

season. Due to his lacklustre explosiveness off

the snap, he was frequently taken off the ball by

single blocks and double teams. Even though

camp is only two weeks old, Zimmer and

Zgonina’s tough-love method seems to be

working wonders for the former Michigan

Wolverine. Smith still has a ways to go as a pass-

rusher, but in comparison to his rookie year, his

effect versus the run is immense. When it comes

to covering double teams and closing gaps, Smith

has performed a better job carrying out his

duties. On other occasions, Smith took a double

team and a linebacker found a way through to

bring down a ball carrier for little gain. Pro

Football Focus’s John Owning wisely observed a

few occasions in which Smith was able to “stack

and shed” to make a tackle against the run

following one of the blockers double-teaming

climbed upfield to combat a linebacker.

These are admittedly small wins in the bigger

picture of Smith’s development, but it’s the little

victories in trench warfare that make all the

difference and and Smith was anything but

fundamentally-sound in year one.

If it takes Zgonina hurling more NSFW and

Disney-based critiques to bring out the best in

Smith, then let’s make it a daily occurrence.

Get more related news on https://sportstandard247.com/