The question was not even fully asked before Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs was already answering it. Would Diggs, the question went, prefer the Cowboys roll back their reliance on zone defense–which they play more than any other team in the NFL under defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus–and instead bring back more man-to-man coverage schemes?
“Yeah,” Diggs said, smiling when he realized how eager he sounded. “Yeah.”
At 1,189, no team in the NFL has given up more passing yardage than the Cowboys, and while some of that can be attributed to a watered-down pass rush, the defensive backs have not been holding their own, either. That’s despite having two former All-Pros, Diggs and DaRon Bland, each with contracts north of $90 million in total, on the corners.
Trevon Diggs Says Zone Defense Is ‘Uncomfortable’
While he insisted he is not pointing fingers, Diggs said he thinks the adjustment to Eberflus’ zone is at least somewhat to blame. The Cowboys are on their third defense in three years, after Dan Quinn departed to coach the Commanders and after Mike Zimmer’s short-lived and ill-received stint that followed. The team is not accustomed to playing zone at the level Eberflus is asking.
“Being comfortable being uncomfortable,” Diggs said. “One of those type things.”
Diggs described the difference in approaches.
“I wouldn’t say it’s more complex, but when you’re playing man, you’re right there with the person. It’s literally right there,” he said. “He go over the field, you go over the field, too.
“And then you’re covering an area. So you have to cover an area and then be in position to make a play. I feel like it just comes with repetition and getting a feel for it.”
Cowboys’ Eberflus Gets Input
Diggs said he has talked with Eberflus about instituting more man coverage. He was uncertain, at best, about whether the Cowboys will make a change.
“Yeah, we talk, you know, but at the end of the day it’s not about what I want,” Diggs said. “It’s not about what other people want, it’s about what the whole defense wants, what coach wants and what coach thinks is best for us to win, if he feels like this gives us our best chance to win then we just, we gotta play it and play it to the best of our ability.
“So, it’s not to point fingers at nobody, it ain’t nobody’s fault, we just got to execute.”
Cowboys’ Coverage Numbers Lacking
The numbers on the Cowboys are not great. They run zone on 94.3% of their sets, according to NFL NextGen stats. Pro Football Focus ranks their coverage unit with a grade of 47.7, which is the fifth-worst in the NFL. Even with their struggles under Zimmer last season, they were 19th in the league in coverage grades. In Quinn’s final year, they were ninth, with an 81.8 grade.
The hope is that the Cowboys corners will adjust to the zone, sooner rather than later.
“As the weeks have been coming, it has been way easier and way easier. I feel like we’re on our way to getting the ball and being on our way to making plays,” Diggs said.
Trevon Diggs Asks Cowboys Coach to Change Defense