Zay Flowers vs. Cowboys: How Dallas Can Defend Baltimore’s Explosive Playmaker | Scout’s Eye
Updated: Sep 29
The first thing that jumps out about Zay Flowers is that you can't defend him like a normal wide receiver.
Baltimore is going to move him around and make the Cowboys identify where he is before the snap. That movement is a major part of what makes Flowers difficult to defend.
Flowers showed exactly what he can do in Week 1. He caught five passes for 150 yards and a touchdown, including explosive gains of 49 and 54 yards, before aggravating his hamstring. He missed Week 2 and has now missed both Wednesday and Thursday's practices this week, so his health is something I'll be watching closely heading into Dallas' Week 3 matchup with Baltimore.
If Flowers plays, this is going to be a major matchup for the Cowboys defense.
What Worries Me About This Matchup
1. Baltimore's Pre-Snap Movement
This is the first thing I'm watching.
Baltimore can put Flowers outside, in the slot, or bring him across the formation. That movement forces the Cowboys to communicate.
If Dallas is late passing a receiver from one defender to another, Flowers has the speed to turn a small mistake into an explosive play.
We've already seen what can happen when the Cowboys don't communicate properly.
Against Washington, Dallas improved defensively, but there were still coverage issues that allowed explosive opportunities. The Ravens will test that communication in a different way.
2. Dallas' Zone Coverage
The Cowboys have played a heavy amount of zone coverage early this season, and that's where Flowers' quickness can become a problem.
He understands how to settle between defenders, but he's also explosive enough to catch the ball underneath and immediately turn north.
Against a receiver like Flowers, a completion underneath isn't necessarily a successful defensive rep. If he catches the ball with room to run, the problem is just beginning.
3. Don't Give Zay Flowers a Free Release
This is important.
If I'm Dallas, I'm looking for opportunities to get hands on Flowers.
You don't want him getting a clean start and forcing Caleb Downs or another defensive back to chase him across the field. Flowers at full speed puts tremendous stress on the leverage of the entire secondary.
Make him work to get off the line.
Make him fight through contact.
Don't let him get into his route uncontested.
4. Lamar Jackson Makes Everything Harder
The Cowboys can't simply tilt the coverage toward Flowers because Lamar Jackson forces defenders to account for him in the running game.
Add Derrick Henry, and the linebackers and safeties have to respect the run.
That creates exactly the kind of space Flowers wants behind them.
This is what makes defending Baltimore different. You can have a good plan for the receiver, but if you're forced to overreact to Jackson or Henry, Baltimore can create the matchup it wants.
Where I'd Expect Baltimore to Attack
Play Action With Flowers Behind the Linebackers
Watch for play action with Flowers crossing behind the linebackers.
Dallas has to honor Henry and Jackson, and that can create a huge window for Flowers.
If the linebackers step too aggressively toward the run, Flowers has the speed to get behind them quickly.
Motion, Stacks and Bunch Formations
I'd also expect Baltimore to test Dallas with motion into stacks and bunch formations.
That's a good way to keep Flowers from getting jammed and can create confusion over who has him.
The Cowboys have to communicate before the snap and then communicate again once the routes develop.
That's where discipline becomes just as important as athletic ability.
Don't Overlook the Quick Screen Game
I wouldn't overlook the quick screen game, either.
Get Flowers the football immediately, put blockers in front of him and make Dallas' defensive backs tackle in space.
That puts the pressure on the Cowboys' secondary to make the first tackle and prevents Dallas from simply relying on its pass rush to slow Flowers down.
The Numbers Say Dallas Can't Afford Coverage Mistakes
Through two games, opponents have completed 46 of 64 passes for 437 yards and five touchdowns against the Cowboys.
That's another reason this matchup matters.
Flowers is the type of receiver who can turn one missed assignment into a huge play.
He isn't the receiver I want Dallas trying to chase all afternoon.
He's the receiver I want them disrupting.
Make him fight through contact.
Make Baltimore work to get him the football.
Rally multiple defenders to him when he catches it underneath.
Most importantly, communicate.
The Washington Game Is the Warning
Against Washington, we saw what can happen when Dallas is late communicating an assignment.
The Stefon Diggs touchdown was a great example.
Against Flowers, that type of mistake might not result in an eight-yard completion.
It could be 50 yards.
That's the difference.
The Hamstring Is Another Variable
And there's one more thing I'm watching: Flowers' hamstring.
His explosiveness is his greatest weapon, and after missing Week 2 and the first two practices of this week, whether he can accelerate and change direction at his normal level could completely change this matchup.
But if he plays, I would put him in the same class as Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry when it comes to the problems he creates for this Cowboys defense.
Those are the three players Dallas has to account for.
THE SCOUT'S EYE
Zay Flowers is not a receiver I want Dallas simply trying to cover.
He's a receiver I want Dallas disrupting.
Don't let him get a clean release.
Don't let Baltimore manufacture easy touches for him.
Don't lose him in motion.
And don't allow him to catch the ball underneath without multiple defenders rallying to him.
If the Cowboys can communicate, stay disciplined and make Flowers work for every yard, they give themselves a chance to limit one of Baltimore's most explosive weapons.
If they don't, Flowers has the speed to make one mistake extremely costly.
That's the matchup I'll have my eye on when the Cowboys face the Ravens.
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