After two straight weeks in his usual spot on the outside as a starting cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys, veteran defender Trevon Diggs found himself coming off the bench during Week 4.
While Diggs, as any professional athlete would, admitted he was surprised to receive the news from head coach Brian Schottenheimer, the former All-Pro did not sulk over the decision and provided Dallas with his best performance of the season.
Interestingly enough, Schottenheimer and Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones had differing opinions on why Diggs was moved to a reserve role in Week 4. Jones seemingly undermined the message his team's coach provided the media by suggesting that the decision was made due to Diggs' health after Schottenheimer indicated it was performance-related.
Jerry Jones Steps on Schottenheimer's Toes With Diggs Comments
“We’re talented," Schottenheimer replied when asked about the call to not start Diggs, via Jon Machota of The Athletic. "He’s been banged up a little bit. I’ve been a little tough on Trevon, just in terms of the consistency and things like that. But, man, I thought he played really well. I’m proud of him. It’s a similar type thing with other guys. I mean, it wasn’t just us picking on Trevon. Trevon is a hell of a player. Trevon is a huge part of what we’re trying to do.”
Had the comments regarding Diggs' demotion against Green Bay ended here, this wouldn't be a conversation right now. Unfortunately, that is just not how things work in Dallas, as Jerry Jones loves nothing more than a microphone in his face.
Despite Schottenheimer's comments about Diggs' consistency being a factor in why he started the game on the bench, Jones zigged while his head coach zagged when responding to a similar question.
“There’s no moving on to other guys," Jones answered, via Machota. "So, it had to be reps regarding health or that type thing. … I’m pleased with how Diggs played.”
Diggs' play against the Green Bay Packers answered plenty of questions on its own. After starting the game on the bench, the veteran was on the field when it mattered the most and contributed four tackles, including one late in OT where Diggs read the bubble screen and immediately blew the play up for a crucial three-yard loss to help keep the Packers out of the end zone.
It is worth reiterating that Pro Football Focus grades are a more useful tool than a be-all-end-all when evaluating a player's performance. With that being said, those numbers were quite positive following Diggs' showing on Sunday night, as he graded out as the Cowboys' second-best defender (83.3) behind James Houston IV (89.3). That came after earning grades of 70.2 in Week 1, 42.4 in Week 2 and 55.5 in Week 3.
While both Schottenheimer and Jones did not agree on the reason for the change in the starting lineup, they did agree that the cornerback performed well against the Packers. Consistency was what Schottenheimer said he needed more out of Diggs moving forward. While this was just one game, it looks to be as good a jumping-off point for the talented defender as anyone could have asked for.