Trevon Diggs gives harsh evaluation of Cowboys defense

Veteran cornerback Trevon Diggs is frustrated after the Dallas Cowboys’ latest defensive collapse. Diggs told reporters the unit looks fractured and without an identity following a 30-27 loss to the Carolina Panthers.

“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 via Dallas News reporter Calvin Watkins on X, formerly Twitter. 

That frustration shows up on the stat sheet. The Cowboys have surrendered more than 400 yards to the Panthers in Week 6, and Dallas has now allowed 30 or more points in five straight games, a run that puts pressure on every part of the roster and the coaching staff. Against Carolina, a steady attack from running back Rico Dowdle produced 239 total yards and helped the Panthers grind out the win. 

Diggs’ comments amount to an on-field player calling for clarity. He’s right to point out busted coverages and receivers getting behind the secondary; those breakdowns force the pass rush into longer, more precarious situations and hand the opponent easy possessions. The Cowboys’ defensive coordinator, Matt Eberflus, has drawn blame in the media, but head coach Brian Schottenheimer publicly defended him after the game, saying the issues aren’t about effort. 

Still, defense is about assignment football and fundamentals, and right now, Dallas looks inconsistent on both counts. When cover men aren’t confident in their calls, it cascades, linebackers hesitate, safeties bite wrong, and quarterbacks exploit seams. That’s not just theory, it’s what played out on Sunday, and Trevon Diggs, a player with pedigree, put the problem into plain language for everyone watching. 

Now the Cowboys must decide whether to tweak the scheme, personnel, or just expect players to settle in. Fans pay to see an identity, a style that ends games, not one that extends them, and right now the Cowboys don’t have it.

 Trevon Diggs’ blunt take might sting, but sometimes a harsh diagnosis is the first step toward a cure.