The two highest-paid cornerbacks on the Cowboys' roster have no interceptions or pass breakups.
We’re headed to Week 5.
Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland have signed contracts worth a total combined value of $187 million. Diggs and Bland will have a combined $77.6 million in guaranteed money paid to both.
Is it a waste?
To be fair, Bland, who just signed his contract extension this year, has played just two games due to a foot strain. Diggs has played every game, starting just two while he’s returning from knee surgery, his second in two years.
And it appears Diggs not starting last week against the Packers was due to a disciplinary issue.
“A rough week,” Diggs said Wednesday without getting into specifics on the disciplinary problem. “I guess coach is holding me accountable and I accepted it, it’s cool. But you know, back on track this week ready to work.”
Asked if a bad week of practice led to the benching, Diggs responded sarcastically, “Yeah, sure.”
Diggs said he expects to start Sunday against the New York Jets.
At some point this season, this Cowboys defense needs to get value from these two.
It’s only a month into this zone-heavy scheme that doesn’t seem to be working on so many levels, but don’t you want to see more from Diggs and Bland?
“I think it’s early in the season,” coach Brian Schottenheimer said. “The decision with Trevon like I talked about the other night, I expect a lot from him and I stay on him about his consistency and I thought he played really well [against Green Bay]. I told you guys how proud I was of him. They’re both doing really good things. But as a whole, as a football team, as a defense, as a team, we’re not doing enough to win. But both guys are special players that we’re very fortunate to have.”
According to NFL’s Next Gen Stats, Diggs has allowed 17.4 yards per target, the most in the NFL. He’s also given up three touchdowns this season, according to Pro Football Focus. Bland has allowed just one touchdown in the two games he’s played.
The Cowboys play a heavy zone, an NFL-high 93.4% of the time, which leads to receivers running to open spots in the zone. As a unit, the Cowboys have given up 9.4 yards per pass in zone coverage, second most in the NFL.
Diggs and Bland made their mark in the league playing man-to-man. Diggs is a two-time Pro Bowler and was named to one All-Pro team. He led the NFL with 11 interceptions in 2021. Bland has one Pro Bowl and All-Pro team on his resume. He led the NFL in interceptions (9) and pick-sixes (five) in 2023.
Diggs said he’s spoken to defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus about playing more man-to-man. Eberflus comes from a zone coverage background, where the idea is to have the four defensive linemen create the pressure that causes hurried throws or sacks.
The Cowboys use four-man fronts on 86% of their defensive plays, highest in the league.
“It’s comfortable being uncomfortable,” Diggs said of the use of more man coverage. “Yeah, we talk, but at the end of the day it’s not about what I want. It’s not about what other people want, it’s about what the whole defense wants, what [Eberflus] wants and what coach thinks is best for us to win, if he feels like this gives us our best chance to win. We gotta play it and play it to the best of our abilities, it’s not to point fingers at nobody, it’s nobody’s fault, we just got to execute.”
Bland said he wants to see more man coverage, but is also of the understanding that, whatever scheme is being used, defensive plays must occur more often. In the last three weeks, the Cowboys have given up seven touchdown passes while picking off one pass.
“I definitely got a lot to work on,” Bland said. “Definitely feel like I’ve left a lot of plays out there and obviously I gave up a touchdown, got to be better there, got to knock the rust off, coming back from injury.”
The Cowboys enter Week 5 against a Jets team that employs receiver Garrett Wilson, sixth in the league in receiving yards (311). The Jets’ quarterback, Justin Fields, isn’t considered one of the best in the league, but with the Cowboys’ secondary struggles, expect teams to keep attacking.
“We just got to get down on our details and just make plays when opportunities come,” Bland said. “And that’s just where it is right now.”