There was no shortage of Dallas Cowboys defenders to blame in Thursday Night Football's 44-30 loss to the Detroit Lions. It was completely unacceptable and a flashback to the early-season defensive struggles. But even within those struggles, Shavon Revel stood out as an especially weak link. He had a truly horrific night in coverage and tackling. But while there is no ignoring that the Lions were zeroing in on the struggling rookie, the Cowboys still need to be patient.
This is still a third-round pick making only his second NFL start, and being thrown to the wolves against an elite offense. He's stuck playing in a unit that has struggled mightily all season under the guidance of much-maligned defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus.
This isn't to remove all blame from Revel, who has certainly disappointed, but rather to suggest that expectations remain more realistic. His job will also get a little easier soon, with Trevon Diggs closing in on a return.
Cowboys Fans Shouldn't be Too Harsh on Shavon Revel's Future Despite Frustrating Performance
Diggs' return allows you to demote Revel into a reserve role that the rookie is clearly more suited for at this stage of his career. It makes sense to have the corner playing special teams while serving as a depth piece in the injury-riddled secondary. This doesn't mean giving up on him or capping his ceiling in that type of role, but rather acknowledging the uphill battle he's fighting after missing most of his first NFL season.
Was it one of the most frustrating individual performances of the season from a Cowboys player? No doubt. A costly pass interference followed by giving up an easy touchdown to Isaac TeSlaa (who had only 6 receptions on the season coming into this game) should have got him benched. But this was his fourth NFL game. And to the point of Eberflus carrying some blame, it was his unfamiliarity with zone coverage that jumped off the page on the touchdown.
Just consider Trevon Diggs' first four NFL games — getting picked on with 30 targets and giving up 18 receptions for 277 yards. Or DaRon Bland making his debut in Week 4 as a rookie and immediately giving up 9 receptions for 98 yards on 11 targets.
While Revel clearly isn't an answer just yet, there is reason to believe there could still be a future fit within the Dallas defense. Still, fans will be relieved to have Diggs soon rejoining the lineup and hope this encourages a bit more stability for a defense that has remained among the league's most frustrating units in the 2025 season.