The Daily Blitz: Trevon Diggs

Thursday, October 14, 2021

Dallas Cowboys Week 6 NFL Power Rankings Roundup

Throughout the 2021 NFL season, we will compile a consensus NFL Power Rankings that averages the rankings of all 32 NFL teams.

Here is where the Dallas Cowboys rank in terms of average, best and worst:

Average ranking: 5.4 (5th)
Best ranking: 4th (Multiple)
Worst ranking: 7th (CBS Sports)

Below you will find a Week 6 roundup for the Cowboys in our consensus 2021 NFL Power Rankings.

ESPN -- Rank: 6

Most improved player: CB Trevon Diggs

How they've improved: How can it not be Diggs? The Cowboys have some other candidates, like young tackle Terence Steele, but Diggs has put himself in the running for the Defensive Player of the Year just five games in with six interceptions. In his last 10 games, dating back to his rookie season, he has nine interceptions. He is lining up against the opponents' top receivers each week, and because of that, offenses will not have the chance to shy away from him. The question isn't how much Diggs has improved. It's how much more can he improve? -- Todd Archer

NFL.com -- Rank: 4

The Cowboys swept their three-game homestand against the Eagles, Panthers and Giants by a combined score of 121-69 -- a stretch of dominance that cements America's Team as a force to be reckoned with in the NFC. On Sunday, the Cowboys rolled up 515 yards of total offense on a bruised-and-battered Giants team that -- like the Eagles and Washington -- knows the best-case scenario is scrambling for a wild-card spot come December. If Dallas keeps its health, the NFC East race is already over. The next question: How good can the Cowboys be? As we approach mid-October, they cut the profile of a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

CBS Sports -- Rank: 7

The improvement on the defensive side of the ball has this team as a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Trevon Diggs has been outstanding at corner.

USA Today -- Rank: 4

Dallas has lost six in a row to teams coached by Bill Belichick, including an 0-5 record against his Patriots. In fact, the Cowboys haven't beaten New England since 1996, when Bill Parcells was roaming the sideline at old Foxboro Stadium. Dak Prescott and Co. can put a lot of that negative history to bed Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium by improving to 5-1 for the first time since 2016, Prescott's rookie year.

The Athletic -- Rank: 6

Breakout player: It says a lot about the state of the Cowboys that we had so many options here, from tight end Dalton Schultz (three touchdowns) to rookie defensive lineman Osa Odighizuwa (two sacks and eight quarterback hits) and rookie linebacker Micah Parsons (2 1/2 sacks and three tackles for a loss), but the only right answer is "Hard Knocks" star Trevon Diggs. The second-year cornerback leads the NFL in interceptions with six in five games (doubling his pick total from his rookie year), including one he returned for a touchdown. Diggs is the type of playmaking cornerback Dallas has been missing for years.

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Dallas Cowboys Week 5 NFL Power Rankings Roundup

Throughout the 2021 NFL season, we will compile a consensus NFL Power Rankings that averages the rankings of all 32 NFL teams.

Here is where the Dallas Cowboys rank in terms of average, best and worst:

Average ranking: 7.0 (7th)
Best ranking: 5th (USA Today)
Worst ranking: 8th (Multiple)

Below you will find a Week 5 roundup for the Cowboys in our consensus 2021 NFL Power Rankings.

ESPN -- Rank: 8

Biggest surprise: Defensive takeaways

Why it's a surprise: The Cowboys have 10 takeaways in four games, which is second in the league and the best in the NFC. How did this happen? They did not record their 10th takeaway a year ago until the 11th game of the season. It helps that Trevon Diggs is having a breakout season with five interceptions in the first four games. The last Cowboy cornerback to have five interceptions in a season was Terence Newman in 2010. The defense still has some faults, but if it can continue to get takeaways, that will give an offense that is rolling more possessions. Right now, the Cowboys have a perfect feel for complementary football. -- Todd Archer

NFL.com -- Rank: 6

The explosive Cowboys offense has garnered much of the headlines in the early going, but the biggest breakout star is playing on the other side of the ball. Cornerback Trevon Diggs is up to five interceptions on the season after two Sam Darnold picks helped produce 10 Dallas points in a 36-28 win over the Panthers at Jerrah World. The 23-year-old became the first Cowboy since the merger to record an interception in each of the first four games of a season. Carolina got back into the game in the fourth quarter -- a portion of the contest Diggs watched from the sideline with what the team termed "tightness in his back." The young playmaker's presence on the field has quickly become essential.

CBS Sports -- Rank: 8

After losing their opener on the road, they have really come on strong. The biggest surprise is how well the defense is playing for coordinator Dan Quinn.

USA Today -- Rank: 5

QB Dak Prescott received copious credit last year for carrying this team early. He's getting it again now, even though Dallas' three-game win streak has largely been built on opportunistic defense (NFC-high 10 takeaways) and a ground game that's produced at least 150 yards in three successive weeks for the first time in four years.

The Athletic -- Rank: 8

Of the 13 teams with three or four wins, the Cowboys are the only one to have beaten two of the others. With an offense firing on all cylinders and a surprisingly feisty defense that features Trevon Diggs breaking out as a premier cornerback, the Cowboys seem like a good bet to run away with the NFC East. It's not crazy to think they could be the NFC's No. 1 seed by the end of the season.

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Thursday, October 14, 2021

Dallas Cowboys Week 6 NFL Power Rankings Roundup

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Dallas Cowboys Week 5 NFL Power Rankings Roundup

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