Final score notwithstanding, the Dallas Cowboys were dominated by the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. The Cowboys once again have some off-field distractions to navigate after cornerback Trevon Diggs confronted reporter Mike Leslie of WFAA after Leslie questioned Diggs' hustle on a long reception by 49ers tight end George Kittle.
While Diggs could have made a better effort to tackle Kittle, his frustration likely stemmed from the fact that he was in man coverage against another pass-catcher. It was safety Donovan Wilson who lost track of Kittle and allowed the chunk play.
Regardless, that does not justify Diggs' response. It's one thing to confront a reporter, but Diggs talked down on Leslie's football knowledge and athletic ability. It was a bad look.
Diggs explained why he lashed out on Micah Parsons' podcast. However, he made waves while discussing how the game got away from Dallas. Diggs lauded the 49ers' second-half adjustments and stated that the Cowboys did not play the game of adjustment chicken.
Trevon Diggs said Cowboys DC Mike Zimmer didn't make adjustments vs. 49ers
Micah and Trevon Diggs respond to the people that say "Cowboys are in a meltdown"
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) October 29, 2024
(Via The Edge with Micah Parsons) pic.twitter.com/Oyxhhrz5Di
While Diggs didn't outright throw Mike McCarthy and Mike Zimmer under the bus, his acknowledgment of the Cowboys' lack of adjustments coming out of halftime speaks volumes. That is just on McCarthy as it is Zimmer.
Care to guess how much Dallas has been outscored in the third quarter this season? 69-12. That sounds impossible. It is a reflection of poor coaching on both sides of the ball.
Zimmer's game plan worked wonders in the first half. While the defense gave up some chunk plays and benefitted from San Francisco shooting itself in the foot with penalties, there's something to be said that Diggs and Co. allowed just six points in the first 30 minutes.
The wheels came off in the third quarter, however. The 49ers scored three touchdowns to put the game out of reach. While one of those TDs was the byproduct of an ugly Dak Prescott interception that gave San Fran a short field, Zimmer's defense couldn't stop a nosebleed.
It admittedly is't easy to make adjustments in real time, but Zimmer at the very least could have made some personnel changes. It wasn't until DeMarvion Overshown sacked Brock Purdy after lining up on the edge that Zimmer threw Shanahan a different look.
Cowboys fans should not fault Diggs for speaking his mind. Parsons asked him a question and he answered honestly. There are more reasons why the Cowboys lost beyond a lack of adjustments, but Diggs' analysis just confirms the notion that Dallas' coaching is more often than not outmatched on Sunday.