With the Cowboys relationship with Trevon Diggs seemingly beyond repair, are the two sides on the verge of a breakup?
The Trevon Diggs experience for Dallas Cowboys fans has been a rollercoaster ride, to say the least. There were impressive high points, such as leading the league in interceptions during the 2021 season with 11 picks, as well as some low points, most of which came over the last three seasons. With Diggs back at practice this week, there was some hope that he could ultimately be activated from the IR and rejoin the team for Week 15’s matchup against the Minnesota Vikings. Saturday afternoon, we learned that is not happening, as ESPN’s Todd Archer reported the veteran cornerback would not be activated for this weekend’s game. That puts Diggs in a less than desirable spot, as his 21-day window closes a week from today.
Cowboys’ Week 15 Decision Could Mean the End of Trevon Diggs In Dallas
If Diggs is not activated by Dec. 20, he will be ruled out for the remainder of the 2025 campaign. Should the Cowboys allow that to happen, it would not be surprising in the slightest to see the front office move on from the former All-Pro this offseason. As FanSided’s Devon Platana explained, Dallas could save a large chunk of change by parting ways with Diggs this offseason.
In fact, should the Cowboys wait until after June 1 to decide on Diggs’ future with the franchise, Jerry Jones could cut $15.5 million from the team’s 2026 salary cap number by cutting or trading the former Alabama Crimson Tide standout. If Jones and the front office choose to move sooner on a final decision on Diggs’ future, they could cut just north of $12.5 million from next season’s cap number.
Either way, Dallas would stand to save a significant amount of money against next season’s salary cap that can be distributed in different ways to improve this roster. Given Diggs’ on-again, off-again availability, he has only appeared in 19 games over the last three seasons. No one would blame Jones and the front office for moving on from a player who has not come close to living up to his part of the five-year, $97 million contract he signed before the 2023 campaign.
What Do the Cowboys Need in Week 15 to Keep Playoff Hopes Alive? – Richard Paolinelli, Inside the Star
To avoid being sent home for the holidays, here’s what the Cowboys must have happen this week.
Before the season began, the Dallas Cowboys game tomorrow night against the Minnesota Vikings was expected to be a contest between two teams fighting to make the playoffs.As the Cowboys prepare for tomorrow’s game, those expectations are only half-right. While the Vikings are pretty much done, the Cowboys could be eliminated from a wildcard berth by the end of Sunday night.
A Dallas loss to the Vikings, coupled with wins by Green Bay over Denver, San Francisco over the Titans, and Chicago over Cleveland slams the door shut on a wildcard slot. A loss to Minnesota means the best finish the Cowboys could hope for would be 9-7-1. All the teams that currently hold the three wildcard slots, and their division leaders, would have at least 10 wins.
A likely Eagles’ win over the Raiders on Sunday, coupled with a Dallas loss later, would put Philadelphia just one win, or another Cowboys’ loss, away from clinching the NFC East. The Cowboys need to win on Sunday night, first and foremost. Even then, they’ll need some help from at least one team from those other four games.
Vikings Mathematically Alive
At 5-8, the Vikings are still mathematically alive for a wildcard spot. However, Minnesota’s season is pretty much over. They would need to run the table and have either the 49ers or Bears lose out. They’d also need a lot of help from the Cowboys, Panthers, and Lions too. J.J. McCarthy has only played in seven games this year, missing six games to injury.
The Vikings had lost four straight games, with McCarthy throwing two interceptions in each game, during the last three losses. But he looked a lot better in the 31-0 rout over the Commanders last Sunday. He was 16-for-23 for 163 yards and three touchdowns with, more importantly, no interceptions. On paper, this should be an easy win for Dallas. Except the Cowboys have a bad history of making struggling young quarterbacks look like the second coming of Tom Brady. If Dallas has any chance of making the playoffs, they cannot afford to repeat this history. The defense will be the key.
Dallas needs to focus on this if they want to establish the run versus Minnesota.
A dominating running game is a tough thing for defenses to overcome. Teams that impose their will on the ground see significant success in the NFL and it’s a success that appears to grow as the dog days of winter progress into the postseason. At face value, the Dallas Cowboys look like one of those run-dominant teams. Their 4.6 yards/carry average ties them for 10th in the NFL. With 1,022 rushing yards, the Cowboys’ Javonte Williams ranks seventh in the NFL. They’re also in the top half of the NFL in both EPA/rush and success rate, indicating their success is meaningful and not just empty calories.
A deeper dive shows the Cowboys aren’t as will-imposing as they may seem. Overall, Dallas passes at a rate of just one percent over expected. They are balanced. But on traditional running downs like 3rd-and-1 or 2, the Cowboys forgo the run and pass at a rate of a whopping 16 percent over expected. To put it another way, when defenses gear up to stop the run, the Cowboys pivot to the passing game.
Based on tracking from Sumer Sports, the Cowboys running game is buoyed largely by their success against light boxes. Brian Schottenheimer and Dak Prescott opt for runs when defenses are back in coverage. This runs consistent to modern analytical thought that running works best against light box counts. Like most teams, the Cowboys running strategy shifts between various zone, man and gap schemes. All types have proven fairly efficient yet no specific brand has been dominant. It’s a diverse scheme that challenges defenders to both read and react.
Again, where the Cowboys really stand out is against light boxes. With a light box EPA of 0.08, the Cowboys rank No. 4 in the NFL in this opportunistic category. It’s why their passing game downfield is so important. The more fear the Cowboys impart on opposing secondaries the more likely they’ll see light box counts for the running game.
5 things to watch when the Cowboys host the Vikings on Sunday night-Dan Rogers, Blogging the Boys
Keep an eye on these key areas in tomorrow night’s game.
The Dallas Cowboys host the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football this week as they attempt to keep their season alive. The Vikings had been on a four-game losing skid before ending that streak with a 31-0 win over the Washington Commanders last week. The Cowboys, on the other hand, had a three-game winning streak snapped as they were outdueled by the Detroit Lions. The Cowboys currently have a three-game winning streak going against the Vikings, and would love to make it four. Here are five things to watch under the AT&T lights on Sunday night.
1. Start fast
While it’s satisfying to watch the Cowboys dig themselves out of a hole, it would be more enjoyable if they could just start off with the lead. But that is not how this team operates, as they are notorious for falling behind in games. Would you believe the Cowboys have trailed at some point in the first half in every single game this year? That’s crazy. Even in their three blowout wins this season against the Jets, Commanders, and Raiders, they trailed at some point in the first quarter.
Even when the Cowboys finally get their act together, slow starts lead to close games, and they just don’t have the margin to handle coming up short in any more games. They must avoid that by coming out fast, getting the lead, and keeping it. The Vikings have a good defense and have the ability to keep this contest close, and that could be the recipe for disappointment for a Cowboys’ team that can’t afford to let one get away.
2. Can’t let J.J. be Dyn-o-mite!
The 2024 NFL Draft was a great draft for quarterbacks. Six quarterbacks were taken within the first 12 picks. That has never happened before. Many of those teams are enjoying their QB selection as most of them have either already led their team to the postseason or will do so this year. However, the Vikings are not one of those teams. J.J. McCarthy was selected 1oth overall last year, two picks before Bo Nix. McCarthy missed all of last year with a knee injury and started this season by throwing interceptions in each of his first six games of his pro career. That’s not ideal.
The good news for McCarthy is that he had his best game last week against the Commanders, where he threw three touchdowns and didn’t have a pick for the first time in his career. The Cowboys have served as a good “get right” game for many quarterbacks this season. A couple of fellow 2024 first-round QBs, Caleb Williams and Bo Nix, have had big games against Dallas. Even Jacoby Brissett and Russell Wilson found ways to exploit their defense. McCarthy will beat himself if you give him enough opportunities, but a poor showing by the Cowboys’ defense could allow this young quarterback to build on the solid showing he had last week.
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