Cowboys CB Diggs (concussion) placed on IR, out next four games – Todd Archer, ESPN
After a bizarre week that resulted in a home accident, the Cowboys have placed Trevon Diggs on injured reserve will miss at least four games.
The Dallas Cowboys placed cornerback Trevon Diggs on injured
reserve Saturday as he continues to deal with concussion symptoms.Diggs will miss a minimum of the next four games and be eligible to return on Thanksgiving against the Kansas City Chiefs.Diggs reported concussion symptoms after an accident at his home on Oct. 16. On Friday, coach Brian Schottenheimer said the team has more information on what happened but said he would let Diggs tell what happened when he next meets with the media.
Diggs signed a five-year, $97 million extension in 2023 after back to back Pro Bowl seasons but he has been beset by injuries since.This is the third straight year Diggs will spend at least a portion of the season on injured reserve. He missed 15 games in 2023 after suffering a torn ACL. He missed six games last year with a knee injury that ultimately required a surgery.
Speaking on 105.3 The Fan on Friday, executive vice president Stephen Jones said Diggs was dealing with other ailments and a stint on injured reserve could help him get fully healthy. Without Diggs, Kaiir Elam will start opposite DaRon Bland. When the Cowboys used three cornerbacks last week, Bland moved into the slot and Trikweze Bridges played outside.
In addition to Diggs, the Cowboys will be without two starting safeties, with Juanyeh Thomas ruled out Saturday because of what is being called a migraine that impacts his vision. Donovan Wilson was ruled out with a shoulder issue Friday. Malik Hooker, a starter with Wilson, is on injured reserve with a toe injury.
The Dallas Secondary is in a State of Flux – Mario Herrera Jr., Inside the Star
With the Cowboys losing Trevon Diggs, the Cowboys secondary will depend on their depth.
For the past few years, the Dallas Cowboys’ secondary has been a cornerstone of their defensive identity; fast, physical, and opportunistic. The combination of Trevon Diggs’ ball-hawking ability, DaRon Bland’s versatility, and a safety group that flew around under former DC Dan Quinn made the unit one of the most feared in football. However, that dominance came before the Mike Zimmer–Matt Eberflus era, and the winds have shifted. What was once considered a long-term strength may now be entering a full-blown transition. Injuries, scheme changes, and free agency decisions have left the Cowboys staring at a very different secondary for the stretch run of 2025.
The Golden Era
Not long ago, the Cowboys boasted one of the most successful defensive backfields in the NFL. The group of Trevon Diggs, DaRon Bland, Jourdan Lewis, Malik Hooker, and Donovan Wilson provided balance, leadership, and big-play potential at every level of the secondary.Diggs emerged as one of the league’s premier ballhawks, combining elite instincts with game-breaking speed. Bland followed up with historic production of his own, setting interception records and proving he could line up anywhere.
Lewis provided veteran poise and sticky coverage in the slot, while Hooker’s range and Wilson’s physicality gave Dallas the flexibility to match up against any offensive style. Together, they turned turnovers into highlights and coverage busts into rare occurrences. It wasn’t just about talent. It was about chemistry, communication, and trust. That formula worked for years, and most assumed it would continue under Zimmer and Eberflus. Instead, the group that once carried the Cowboys’ defense may soon look almost unrecognizable.
A Secondary in Transition
Fast-forward to the second half of the 2025 season, and the Cowboys’ secondary may be unrecognizable to even the most die-hard fans. Of that dominant five-man lineup, only DaRon Bland appears locked into a starting role going forward. Trevon Diggs’ recovery from injury behind the scenes has not gone smoothly despite being ready way sooner than even the team predicted.
The writing may be on the wall for a potential split, especially now with this mysterious home incident that resulted with Diggs in the concussion protocol for two weeks now. Shocking, but not surprising given the trajectory of both sides. If that happens, Caelen Carson could step into the boundary corner spot opposite Bland. Carson was injured most of his rookie season, but his presence and draft status could signal the next era of Dallas cornerback play.
In the slot, Shavon Revel has the potential to turn heads, and reports this week say he is looking smooth in practice. The 3rd-round rookie’s blend of quickness and confidence could push him into the Nickel role once manned by Jourdan Lewis, who departed for Jacksonville in free agency. At safety, the situation isn’t much more stable. Malik Hooker’s injury has opened the door for Juanyeh Thomas, who has battled through migraines but seems ready to seize the opportunity moving forward. Meanwhile, Donovan Wilson, once a tone-setter, has looked miscast in Eberflus’ system. His downhill aggression and blitzing instincts don’t fit a scheme built on discipline and coverage integrity.
Penalty-prone Broncos among 3 reasons for Cowboys to have hope in Week 8 Denver trip – Ben Grimaldi, Cowboys Wire
The Broncos beating themselves can give the Cowboys have another way to get a win on the road.
There have been good vibes for the Dallas Cowboys this past week, that comes with winning games in the NFL. The victory over Washington has also been accompanied by positive news on the injury front, where the team could be getting some key players back soon. Most of those returns likely aren’t happening this week when they take on a tough Denver Broncos team that is 5-2, but there are other reasons to love the Cowboys in their Week 8 matchup. It’s a good team under veteran head coach Sean Payton, however there are paths to victory for Brian Schottenheimer’s group.
Run, Javonte, run!
In the Broncos losses, they’ve allowed over 136 rushing yards a game. That is significantly higher than how they’ve played in the other five games they’ve won, where they’re allowing just 76 ypg. Overall, Denver’s defense ranks ninth in the league, giving up 93.3 yards on the ground per game. Included in those run stopping efforts is a game where the Broncos gave up just 45 rushing yards to the Philadelphia Eagles and their attack of Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts. Last week the Giants were able to run for 119 yards and two scores against the Broncos in a game they should’ve won.
The Cowboys have rushed for over 100 yards in every game but one this season, and lead running back Javonte Williams returns to play against his former team. Williams, who spent his first four years with the Broncos, is second in the NFL in rushing yards with 592 and is averaging 84.6 ypg. Vance Joseph’s defense gave up 165 yards on the ground the last time they played a top RB, Jonathan Taylor, as the Indianapolis Colts beat the Broncos in Week 2. Perhaps a Williams revenge game is in the cards? The Cowboys have done a great job of being physical and getting the running game going this season, and it’ll be imperative they run it well if they want to beat the Broncos.
Heavily penalized
The Broncos often beat themselves, ranking second in the league with 61 penalties against them through the first seven weeks. In their two losses they were called for eight and 10 infractions, respectively, as well being flagged 12 times in their last game, where they were lucky to leave with a win. A leaping penalty cost them against the Colts, giving the kicker a second chance at winning the game.
They survived to beat the New York Giants last week, but they almost surrendered the game winning drive thanks to two penalties that could’ve cost the the contest. A roughing the passer flag and a pass interence call helped get the Giants the touchdown to take the lead before they folded in the end. The Broncos’ passing defense also has the second most defensive pass interference calls against them this season with six. Now comes the Cowboys and wide receiver George Pickens, who leads the league in DPI yards gained (116).
Cowboys need to win big play margin at Broncos with fully loaded offense – Sean Martin, Blogging the Boys
The Cowboys need to be explosive versus the Broncos to win.
The Dallas Cowboys can earn a winning record for the first time in 2025 under head coach Brian Schottenheimer with a win on Sunday at the Denver Broncos. They will go to Denver looking for a road win against the Broncos for the first time in over two decades, but also enter this game with a path to win on both sides of the ball thanks to their 44-22 win versus the Commanders in week seven. The Cowboys passed the Commanders for second place in the NFC East with that win against Dan Quinn’s team, but now get a Sean Payton Broncos team leading the AFC West at 5-2 ahead of the Chargers and Chiefs. Payton will be looking for his third head-coaching win against the Cowboys in four tries since leaving Dallas’ staff in 2005, the previous two being with the New Orleans Saints.
Payton beat the Cowboys at home with the Saints in his first season 42-17, and won in Arlington 30-27 on Thanksgiving in 2010. Even when the Cowboys beat the Saints to end their undefeated season in the Superdome on a Thursday night in 2009, Payton got the last laugh by winning the Super Bowl with that year’s team. The Cowboys getting this win under Schottenheimer would be big in putting previous road losses at the Bears and Panthers behind them and start a similar run to the playoffs the Broncos are intended on – having gone to the playoffs for the first time under Payton last year.
The Broncos got there by getting better quarterback play out of rookie Bo Nix than many previous Denver QBs before him. So far in 2025 though, Nix and the Broncos offense has not always been consistent, and facing the current Cowboys defense is perhaps not the same “get right” opportunity it was for Matt Eberflus’ defense at the start of the season.
The Cowboys will still want to lean more on their offense and own high-level QB play to put pressure on Nix and the Broncos as opposed to exposing their defense too much on the road, but having momentum on both sides of the ball helps them going to a tough road environment. Will a healthy quadruplet (new term?) of Prescott, George Pickens, CeeDee Lamb, and the former Bronco Javonte Williams be enough to get a win in week eight though? Let’s take a look at our weekly keys to the game to find out.
The Dallas Cowboys will beat the Denver Broncos if…
they win on third down on offense and defense.
The Cowboys will be without CB Trevon Diggs again this Sunday, after he missed the win against the Commanders with a concussion. In Diggs’ absence, the Cowboys played much more of the man coverage that would actually play to his strengths if/when he’s able to return to the field. They got by instead with DaRon Bland returning an interception for a touchdown, Kaiir Elam and rookie Trikweze Bridges also holding up in coverage, and safety/linebacker Markquese Bell playing well too.
That was against a Commanders team without both starting wide receivers, Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel, and later without starting QB Jayden Daniels, and forced to push the ball downfield regularly with the Cowboys taking a 27-15 lead before halftime.
The Broncos will not only be much more patient in their approach in the passing game, but they have the receivers to give this Cowboys defense a much tougher test thanks to Courtland Sutton, Marvin Mims, and Troy Franklin. This trio of receivers along with former Giant Evan Engram helped the Broncos go from scoreless through three quarters against the Giants last week to a historic 33-point quarter that saw them win by one. Even still, the Broncos went just 4-13 on third down on the game. The previous week in London against the Jets, the Broncos were 5-15 on third down in a 13-11 win. They are a bottom ten team in converting third downs this season, but also top ten in avoiding overall attempts.
