The Dallas Cowboys had to suddenly make a change to their secondary just days before their matchup against the Washington Commanders last Sunday, as veteran cornerback Trevon Diggs suffered a concussion due to an accident at home.
With Diggs sidelined, the Cowboys turned to Kaiir Elam, who had started in four games already this season due to the secondary injuries. Elam played well against a Commanders’ squad that was missing Deebo Samuel and Terry McLaurin, which is a good sign for the Cowboys.
That said, the Cowboys were hoping to have Diggs back for Sunday’s game against the Denver Broncos, but that won’t be the case. On Thursday, Dallas defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus told reporters that Diggs is still in the concussion protocol, per Jon Machota of The Athletic.
With only one day of practice left, and the Cowboys set to play on Sunday, all signs are pointing towards Elam getting another opportunity to prove himself, this time against a much better WR unit in Denver.
Trevon Diggs Still in Concussion Protocol, Opening Door for Another Kaiir Elam Start
Heading into last week’s game against the Commanders, Dallas knew they were likely not going to have to face McLaurin and Samuel, but they still couldn’t take Washington lightly, which still had Jayden Daniels at QB.
In the Cowboys’ first six games this season, Elam posted a 58.6 overall grade and a horrendous 55.5 coverage grade (placing him 102nd among 171 qualified CBs), per Pro Football Focus. He also possessed a 141.3 passer rating, which isn’t great.
That said, Elam showed some improvements against the Commanders, which you hope he can carry into this week’s game against a Broncos’ WR unit that features Courtland Sutton, Troy Franklin, and Marvin Mims.
According to Pro Football Focus, the 24-year-old Elam had a 63.8 overall grade and a 64.9 coverage grade in 67 snaps. He also only gave up two catches for 31 yards, despite being targeted seven times.
It’s not surprising that the Commanders went after Elam, as they learned the hard way about throwing towards Bland’s side. Elam had a 45.5 passer rating, which was his second-best mark this season.
The Broncos will likely try to test Elam on Sunday, especially if they get him matched up with Sutton, who can make the tough catches. That said, if Elam can hold his own and pass this test, the Cowboys might truly have a player worth keeping around for the foreseeable future.