With historic interception run, Dallas Cowboys’ Diggs open to challenges, son’s pride
It took a bye week to prevent Trevon Diggs from another interception.
The Dallas Cowboys cornerback, who leads the NFL with seven interceptions in six games, will be tested against the Minnesota Vikings at 7:20 p.m. Sunday. He’ll either be covering second-year receiver Justin Jefferson or veteran Adam Thielen. Diggs said he wasn’t yet sure what the Cowboys’ game plan will call for.
“They’re both really good receivers so it’s, like, pick your poison,” Diggs said. “So it really wouldn’t matter.”
Jefferson leads the Vikings with 41 receptions for 542 yards. Thielen, 31, has 37 catches for 393 yards and five touchdowns. Jefferson, 22, has three touchdowns.
Diggs, who said he’s doing better after a minor ankle injury in the first quarter against the Giants three weeks ago, compared Jefferson to the Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb. Lamb and Jefferson were selected at No. 17 and No. 22 in the 2020 NFL draft.
“[He’s] really good, talented, [he’ll] go get the ball, [run] good routes,” he said. “Yeah, it’s going to be a good matchup.”
Diggs’ interceptions, including two pick-sixes, have elevated his profile around the league. He’s earning a reputation, fair or not, as a gambling corner who can be beat with a fake or double move.
Diggs is hoping that’s what quarterbacks try to do, including the Vikings’ Kirk Cousins. The way Diggs views it, he’ll dictate how he plays each pass instead of letting the quarterback do so.
“Hopefully. I don’t know, but whatever they do I’m ready for sure,” he said. “As far as making plays on the ball, I feel like that’s a ‘you’ thing,” he said. “It’s your decision to make a play on the ball in order to bat the ball down. He’s a really good quarterback, too. Really accurate, makes good decisions. It’s going to be hard but you can do it, it’s [possible].”
Diggs’ son, Aaiden, who turns 5 on Monday, is aware of dad’s historic stretch of interceptions. His interceptions in each of the first six games this season are a Cowboys record and tie the NFL record.
Aaiden stole some of the episodes during “HBO’s Hard Knocks: Dallas Cowboys” series in August, especially a moment in which he met Dak Prescott in an ice cream store.
“He’s been really excited,” Trevon Diggs said. “Every week he calls me, talks to me, he’s just happy. I’m happy that I can make him smile by what I’m doing on the field and he’s got someone to look up to.”
Prescott, by the way, is no longer Aaiden’s favorite player. That’s dad.
“I think Dak’s second. And I’m first,” Diggs said.
This story was originally published October 29, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
