The Dallas Cowboys have the number one ranked defense in the NFL. They have only allowed a total of 10 points in the first two games of the season. A lot of the praise for the dominant start of the defense will go to star defensive end Micah Parsons. Parsons and that defensive line are immensely important to the teams’ success. No matter how good the defensive line is they can only do so much. The secondary has to pull their weight as well.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The Cowboys have had one of the best secondaries in the NFL over the last couple of seasons. One of the main reasons the secondary has been good is the play of corner back Trevon Diggs. Diggs was an all-pro in 2021 and a pro-bowler in 2022.
In 2021, the former Alabama corner back, led the league in interceptions with 11. He was criticized for taking too many chances that season which led to him giving up 907 yards to wide receivers. In 2022, he was able to earn a pro-bowl selection while playing a more conservative style. Diggs had three interceptions but gave up only 673 yards.
In the first two games of the 2023 season, Diggs already had an interception and three pass deflections. Only 33% of passes thrown in his direction were caught by the intended target. Last season he gave up a completion percentage of 64.7%. It looked like Trevon Diggs was starting to bring together the best of his aggressive style from 2021 with the best of his adjustments from 2022.
It is unfortunate but the NFL world will have to wait until next season to see how good Diggs can be. He tore the ACL in his left knee which will end his season early. The Cowboys will have to find a way to not let this have a major effect on their defense for the rest of the season. What effect will it have this week against the Arizona Cardinals?
Will This Injury Hurt Dallas against Arizona?
There is no good time to lose the best corner back on your team but it may not hurt Dallas this Sunday against Arizona. The Cardinals have not threatened defenses down the field in their first two games. Arizona quarterback Joshua Dobbs is 27th in the NFL with 5.9 yards gained per pass attempt. To put that in perspective, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is first in that category with 9.5 yards gained per attempt.
The defensive line for the Cowboys is so good that they should be able to withstand the loss of Trevon Diggs. Dobbs has been pressured on 18.5% of his drop backs so far this season. Look for that to increase as they take on the second best defense at creating pressure. Dallas has pressured the opposing quarterback on 32.1% of their drop backs. Only the San Francisco 49ers have a higher pressure rate.
Arizona may not be able to take advantage of Diggs’ absence but it is a big void that Dallas will have to deal with for the rest of the season.
