Cowboys News: Diggs’ injury aftermath, positive injury news in Dallas
The Dallas Cowboys were riding an unbelievable high through a dominant first two weeks of the 2023 season. Dreams of recreating the ‘Doomsday’ defense were being realized when All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs suffered a torn ACL, ending his season.
There’s no way to replace him, and that was reflected by team owner Jerry Jones and head coach Mike McCarthy. Both were very candid in their first availabilities since the injury. That said, no team is more prepared to mitigate this level of loss than Dallas, whose offseason trade for cornerback Stephon Gilmore looks like a godsend today.
It certainly also helps to have Micah Parsons making his case as the best defender in football and a hungry defense around him. The cavalry on both sides has arrived in time for the trip to Arizona as well. All the analysis from the loss of Diggs, how they’ll adjust and an abundance of belief in the Cowboys to move to 3-0 in the latest News and Notes.
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Where Cowboys stand without Trevon Diggs :: Cowboys Wire
There’s no way to replace Diggs, but the Cowboys have the resources to mitigate the loss. Ben Grimaldi breaks down what will change and how an offseason trade now becomes evermore crucial in hindsight.
Trevon Diggs' injury 'a punch to the gut,' Mike McCarthy says :: ESPN
McCarthy is leading the 2023 Cowboys to a strong start, but it’s hard to be positive after losing one of your best for the year. Same as the Dallas owner, he was honest about how it’s hit himself and the team, but he looks forward to what DaRon Bland can bring in Diggs’ absence.
DaRon Bland ready to step up in Diggs' place :: The Mothership
Bland stepped up as a rookie when Jourdan Lewis went down and was the team’s interceptions leader by last season’s end. Now he’ll likely play the outside corner position as a substitute for Diggs. “You don’t ever want a player or teammate to have an injury, especially an injury like that,” Bland said. “I’ve been playing mostly inside for the last year, so moving back outside will be good. Just gotta keep my head straight.”
Cowboys’ Mike McCarthy says 1-on-1 drills weren’t a factor in Trevon Diggs injury :: Dallas Morning News
Despite questions about 1-on-1 drills causing too many serious injuries, Mike McCarthy called Diggs’s ACL tear just a football fluke. “When you see the video, it’s something that could happen anywhere, two guys going for the football. It looks like he came down on the foot or stepped on the foot of the receiver. This was not a drill issue at all. By no means.”
What’s next for Cowboys? Trevon Diggs’ injury a jarring hit to defense, team :: The Athletic
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No one is more prepared for a loss this big like the Cowboys, and the second-year cornerback is poised to make the loss non-fatal. Jon Machota and Saad Yousuf are honest in what’s lost, but also in where Dallas can prove themselves to still be a juggernaut.
Jerry Jones on Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs’ injury: ‘You don’t replace irreplaceable players’ :: Dallas Morning News
Jerry Jones delivered one of his best offseasons as an owner when it comes to the team itself, but it took a gut punch with Diggs’ loss for the year. He was candid about the All-Pro’s injury and how Dallas looks to carry out the mission.
Spagnola: Bitter reminder this journey is long :: The Mothership
Don’t panic. Injuries like this are brutal and inevitable to happen over the years, but it’s how the Cowboys are built to respond that matters most. The journey is long, and Dallas has plenty of time to adjust.
Micah Parsons blasts ESPN analyst Bart Scott for making light of Trevon Diggs’ injury :: Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Speaking about Diggs’s injury on Friday’s show, Scott said, “Like Stephen A. [Smith] always says: Just wait; something bad always happens.” He was chastised by his co-hosts- including Smith- for the careless remark and then lit up on social media over it. Parsons, Jayron Kearse, and Malik Hooker all joined in, taking the former NFL linebacker to task for treating another player’s serious injury with casual disregard. At one point, Scott clapped back and told Parsons to “get out [of] your feelings.”
Cowboys offer optimism with final injury report of Week 3 :: Cowboys Wire
While it’s a bad mood and rightfully so in Dallas, there’s some reinforcements on the horizon. In the final injury report for Week 3, the Cowboys are expecting back key contributors on both sides of the ball.
3 key matchups for the Cowboys in Week 3 against Arizona :: Cowboys Wire
Reid Hanson goes in-depth about the matchups that will decide the Cowboys’ trip to Arizona. It all starts up front, and Dallas’ ability to dominate the trenches is king against the Cardinals.
Is Micah Parsons solidifying himself as the best player in the NFL? :: Blogging the Boys
Parsons was an unstoppable force in the first two weeks, and it’s begging the question of where he stands amongst the NFL’s best. Is he the best? The Blogging the Boys writers discuss.
Top 10 pass rushers: Micah Parsons earns top marks in new Next Gen Stats Pressure Probability Model :: NFL.com
Parsons is the only defender to accumulate triple-digit pressures (103) over the last two seasons, generating double-digit pressures in three games since 2022 — no other defender has done so in more than one game. Parsons has also averaged an insane 19.7 percent pressure rate in that span, while no other player with a minimum of 300 pass rushes eclipses 18 percent. And he’s leading the league in almost every metric so far in 2023.
Meet the boxing coach who helped Micah Parsons take his game to the next level :: Fox 4 KDFW
Tony Mack compiled a 13-1-1 record as a boxer, including a Texas Super Middleweight championship. Now retired from the sport and coaching it at the gym he owns, he’s hoping to start his Cowboys clients down the road to championship rings of their own. It started with Amari Cooper, who then brought Parsons, who has since dragged in several other Dallas teammates and even DC Dan Quinn. “If they’re not out of town traveling, they are with me two, three, four days a week,” said Mack. “I’m literally having the time of my life.”
Gut Feeling: Cowboys vs. Cardinals staff predictions :: The Mothership
It’s a third-straight clean sweep for the Cowboys staff writers. who believe Dallas will ride the emotion from Diggs’ loss into a dominant win over the Cardinals in their stadium.
Andy Reid can surpass Tom Landry on all-time coaching wins list on Sunday :: ProFootballTalk
A Cowboys legend is about to be overtaken in the history books. With a Chiefs win over Chicago on Sunday, Andy Reid will be all alone in fourth place among coaches in all-time wins. He is currently sitting at 270, tied with the late Tom Landry. Only Don Shula, Bill Belichick, and George Halas have more career victories.
