Getty Images Trevon Diggs of the Dallas Cowboys.
Trevon Diggs heard the criticism from Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase ahead of their matchup on Sunday but the Dallas Cowboys star just let his play do the talking.
Diggs and the Cowboys scored a 20-17 victory against Chase’s Bengals, holding Cincinnati’s usually high-powered passing attack to just 165 yards. Chase caught just five of nine targets for 54 yards in the loss and was especially ineffective when he was matched up with Diggs.
Chase managed just two catches for 12 yards when Diggs was on him, per Pro Football Focus. It was a performance that probably had Chase thinking twice about what he said earlier in the week.
Trevon Diggs in coverage vs Ja’Marr Chase:
🔒 2 catches allowed
🔒 14 yards allowed
“He’s got great ball skills in the air,” Chase told reporters on September 16. “He’s super fast. He’s not too much on technique-sound, though. You know what I’m saying? He’s a little hit or miss. …He’s either all the way on or he’s not on at all. But he’s definitely a great athlete.”
Diggs had every reason to rub those comments in Chase’s face after shutting him down but took the high road.
“People want reactions. I don’t give anyone reactions,” Diggs said. “That doesn’t really do anything for me. I know what I’m capable of. My coaches know what I’m capable of. My team knows what I’m capable of. So, I just go out there every play, give it all I’ve got. You know, we take care of the rest, try to get Ws.”
Diggs Big Tackle Helped Set Up Cowboys for Victory
Diggs didn’t have an interception but notched five tackles, including an important takedown of Tyler Boyd on a third down late in the game. If Diggs didn’t come up with the hit, it was unlikely that the Cowboys would have gotten the ball back in regulation.
“The drive before I had given up a catch,” Diggs said. “I was kind of mad about that. I wanted to go out there and make a play for my team. I just went and did that.”
Cowboys star Micah Parsons was ecstatic to talk about the hit from Diggs, expressing how key it was to the victory.
“That was huge. We even said that was the hardest we’ve ever seen Diggs tackle. He shot out like a cannon. I was proud of him,” Parsons told reporters after the game. “When I saw 7, I was shocked. That was huge momentum. Way to get off the field.”
Parsons Leads Way for Cowboys Defense
The defensive effort from the Cowboys was impressive, holding Joe Burrow and the Bengals out of the end zone until the fourth quarter.
Parsons played a huge role in that, attracting a healthy bit of attention but also busting through for a pair of sacks. In all, the Cowboys sacked Burrow six times and were constantly in his face.
“I don’t care what the offense puts up,” Parsons said. “They can have zero (points), but we got to do our part. I think we’re doing a damn good job at doing that. We’ve held two of the most elite offenses to one touchdown the last two games, and we’re making them earn every little bit of it. That’s how you be relentless. That’s what we’ve been preaching. Every guy in this room has bought in.”
The Cowboys will now shift their focus to their first NFC East matchup of the season with a Monday Night Football road tilt against the Giants.