Dallas City News

The Cowboys defense has had a rough start to the year, though the growing list of players on the injured reserve, and the current injury report, has undoubtedly contributed to that. Regardless of health, though, this week’s matchup against the Falcons is likely not going to go well for Dallas.

The last three seasons saw the Falcons amass some talented, young offensive skill players, only for head coach and offensive play-caller Arthur Smith to utterly waste their potential. That played a part in Smith’s firing following three straight 7-10 finishes. New head coach Raheem Morris named Zac Robinson his offensive coordinator, and Atlanta promptly went out and signed Kirk Cousins in free agency to jumpstart this offense.

Eight games into the season and things are going very well in Atlanta. The Falcons are seventh in yards per play, ninth in EPA/play, and sixth in offensive DVOA. Cousins, who ruptured his Achilles last year and was still shaking off some rust to start this season, is now up to ninth among quarterbacks in EPA/dropback. Running back Bijan Robinson is fourth in the league in scrimmage yards, and both Drake London and Kyle Pitts are on pace for career years.

Coordinating it all is Robinson, a former star quarterback for the Oklahoma State Cowboys, where he routinely threw touchdowns to the likes of Dez Bryant. He had a brief NFL career before going into a football media career, finding a home as an analyst for Pro Football Focus. That’s where he was when Sean McVay tapped him to be the assistant quarterbacks coach for the Rams ahead of the 2019 season. Three years later, Robinson had risen to the role of pass game coordinator and was one of McVay’s most trusted assistants.

That made it an easy choice for new Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, who had been McVay’s defensive coordinator for three years, to bring along Robinson as his top offensive mind. In pairing Robinson with Cousins, it also provided schematic continuity for the new quarterback. For the past two seasons, Cousins had been operating in Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell’s offense; prior to O’Connell becoming the head coach, he was the offensive coordinator for the Rams, overlapping with Robinson.

That offers a hint as to Robinson’s scheme, too, as he hails from the McVay branch of the Shanahan offensive scheme tree. In Robinson’s time with the Rams, though, he’s had a front row seat as McVay has made several tweaks to his scheme, keeping things fresh as league trends evolve.

Still, the outside zone run game is king for Robinson. No team runs the ball outside the tackles more than the Falcons right now, and they’re seventh in yards per game on outside runs. One tweak that Robinson has carried over from McVay, though, is a newfound reliance on traditional shotgun drops instead of a high utilization of play-action from under center. The Falcons have one of the highest rates of shotgun and one of the lowest rates of play-action right now; on a related note, Cousins’ has one of the shortest times to throw in the NFL, as most of his dropbacks are designed around quick hitters.

By far the most fascinating aspect of this matchup (in an otherwise David vs Goliath type of bout) is the clash between Cousins and his former head coach, Mike Zimmer. It’s no secret that the two didn’t get along in Minnesota, and Zimmer often suggested that Cousins’ large contract was the reason the Vikings regressed on defense during his tenure.

This is the first time that Zimmer will get to face his former quarterback, and there’s no doubt that each one will have a vested interest in showing the other up. Unfortunately for Dallas, Zimmer will likely be attempting a revenge tour with one armed tied behind his back, as Micah Parsons and DaRon Bland will not play. Additionally, Trevon Diggs is questionable with a calf injury.

Not only that, but Zimmer will be going up against an offense with playmakers all over the field and a quarterback who’s really settling into a groove with his new coordinator. Surely Zimmer has an idea of how best to throw Cousins off, but whether or not he’ll have the personnel to accomplish such a feat remains a legitimate question. This defense will have its work cut out for them, but Zimmer has never been one to shy away from a challenge.