We're six weeks into the regular season, and the Dallas Cowboys have yet to crack the code on defense. They've failed even against some struggling quarterbacks, with Russell Wilson putting up 37 points on them, Caleb Williams having a career performance, and now Bryce Young torching them all afternoons long in Week 6.
That's why Trevon Diggs may have had enough. Following the 30-27 road loss to the Carolina Panthers, the former All-Pro defensive back seemingly put his teammates on blast for all the defensive miscues.
Trevon Diggs Opens up on 'Frustrating' Defensive Miscues
"Yeah, it's very frustrating. It's all these points (given up), the receivers are running wide open down the field, too many busted coverages. It's a lot. I feel like we’re all over the place and we really don’t have no identity," Diggs said, per Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News.
Diggs has been openly critical of Matt Eberflus' zone-heavy coverage schemes. He's reportedly reached out to him to plead for more man coverage. When asked about that, the defensive coordinator didn't want to read too much into his complaints:
“I value everybody’s opinion. That’s important that you do that as a coach. And you listen. That’s important that you do that too," Eberflus said after the game, per Jon Machota of The Athletic. “We’re growing as a group. There’s improvement in the play. We just gotta keep growing as a group.”
To be fair, Diggs should also take a deep look in the mirror and hold himself accountable before pointing the finger at anybody else. He's logged a 62.6 Pro Football Focus grade, which ranks 70th among 168 cornerbacks, and he has yet to record a single interception despite playing 260 snaps. He's also been on the wrong end of some big plays, giving up nine receptions on eleven targets for 168 yards and three touchdowns.
The Cowboys' defense was expected to regress without Micah Parsons, so this isn't much of a surprise. They may not have the personnel to turn things around, and Eberflus' apparent reluctance to make adjustments or try different things only spells more trouble.
Dallas has some tough games ahead of it, with the Washington Commanders (home), Denver Broncos (away), and Arizona Cardinals (home) before their bye week. They're 2-3-1 after six weeks, and it wouldn't be much of a surprise to see them drop at least two of their next three games unless they make some moves.