It was hard for Dallas Cowboys fans to feel any better following the team's Thanksgiving win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Well, Jerry Jones managed to deliver in that regard when he told 105.3 The Fan on Friday that he expects Trevon Diggs to be on the field this Thursday against the Detroit Lions.
Sure enough, the Cowboys opened Diggs' 21-day practice window over the weekend. Diggs has missed the last four games on injured reserve due to a concussion and a knee injury.
To say it has been a turbulent couple of months for Diggs would be an understatement. A combination of poor play, the mysterious nature of his concussion, throwing Matt Eberflus under the bus, and issues with the front office had fans wondering if he played his last snap for Dallas.
Diggs addressed the media for the first time since going on IR, and he is doing his best to put the noise behind him.
"I'm really excited," Diggs said. "I feel like momentum is going, and I just want to make sure I go out there and continue the momentum, put out great effort, make plays, and just continue to try and help this team win."
Trevon Diggs focused on helping the Cowboys win after returning from injury
That was a very buttoned-up answer from Diggs. Calculated or not, though, that is exactly what Cowboys fans needed to hear.
While there’s speculation that this could be Diggs’ final season in Dallas, the Cowboys have a surge of momentum behind them right now. They’ve won three straight, including back-to-back victories against last year’s Super Bowl participants, and have rallied following the death of Marshawn Kneeland to claw their way back into the NFC playoff picture.
Dallas is just 1.5 games behind the Eagles in the NFC East with five games left on the schedule. They have a steeper climb in the Wild Card race, and they ultimately might have to win out to clinch a playoff berth, but the playoffs felt like a pipe dream just a few weeks ago.
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The last thing this team needs right now is Diggs stirring up drama. Granted, the front office is partially to blame for that, but it's in Diggs' best interest -- both short and long term -- to fall in line, help this team win games, and show that he's past the injuries.
"I feel way better now, because you don't know how you're going to feel when you get out there, you know?" Diggs said about his health. "I went out there, I was feeling good the first couple of weeks, and then it started to weigh on me a little bit. I started getting some swelling in my knee. Now, I don't have any swelling in my knee, I feel good, I feel like I'm running good, I feel like my hamstring's strong, everything is good and strong. I feel ready."
That's great news for the Cowboys. And the great news for Diggs is that the defense is playing a lot more man coverage relative to early in the season. With a clean bill of health and the scheme suited to his strengths, the stage is set for Diggs to spark a defense that is playing at a really high level.
He can silence all of the noise if that comes to pass.