Dallas Cowboys vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Can Trevon Diggs Repeat Performance Against Mike Evans?

The Dallas Cowboys do not need to look far for preparation materials forward of Sunday’s season-opener at AT&T Stadium towards the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 2 groups matched up in Week 1 of final season, because the defending champion Bucs pulled away with a 31-29 win at dwelling. 

Arising simply in need of spoiling ring evening in Tampa was actually an early-season stinger for Dallas, nevertheless it was the beginning of a 12 months that noticed the Cowboys lead the league with 34 takeaways, 4 of which got here within the loss to the Bucs. 

It additionally signaled the start of what was a historic, 11-interception season for Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs, who got here up together with his first choose of the 12 months within the second quarter of that sport.

However all through that evening, Diggs was additionally tasked with protecting four-time Professional Bowl receiver Mike Evans, who has remained one of many league’s most constant pass-catchers through the years. 

Evans has by no means completed a season below 1,000 receiving yards as he enters his ninth season, together with final 12 months the place he had 1,035 yards and a career-high 14 landing receptions. However Diggs’ season-opening efficiency towards the big-bodied red-zone menace left an preliminary cloud of doubt over whether or not Evans may proceed his spectacular streak. 

Evans completed his third-worst receiving whole of the season, as he posted simply three catches for twenty-four yards on six targets. 

And as Evans, a local of Galveston, Texas and a former Texas A&M Aggie returns to his dwelling state to start the 2022 season, he does in order one other matchup with Diggs looms. 

Evans might need completed with three catches in final 12 months’s assembly with Dallas, however per NextGenStats, Diggs held the receiver to only one catch of 10 yards whereas protecting him on 39 of 47 routes. 

Diggs may very well be seen taking part in about 10 yards off the road of scrimmage on many snaps, however really lined up in press protection on over half of Evans’ routes, per the date supplied. At 6-5 230, Evans has develop into generally known as one of many league’s most physically-dominant receivers. However at 6-2, 195, Diggs did not again down from the problem and has the stats to show it.

Quick-forward to now, Diggs has develop into identified league-wide as one of many high defensive gamers in soccer, evident by his end at No. 23 on the NFL’s player-voted Prime 100 listing for 2022 after he entered final season unranked. 

Even after his robust play in prime time towards Evans, Diggs continued to punish quarterbacks and receivers because the season progressed, all whereas budding into his All-Professional kind alongside the way in which. If Diggs was in a position to severely restrict Evans earlier than including one other 16 video games of expertise below his belt, than replicating an analogous efficiency is properly inside attain.

Whereas nothing is for certain headed into Sunday, Diggs will possible shadow Evans as soon as once more, as Tom Brady’s high goal goals for some one-on-one revenge. 

Successful the battle with Evans may show that Diggs’ 2021 season was no fluke. Get burned, and the overreactions would possible begin pouring in. 

However the numbers do not lie because the Cowboys put together for one of many season’s hardest assessments, a take a look at that may start Sunday at 7:20 p.m. C.T.

You may comply with Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

Observe FishSports on Twitter

Observe Cowboys / Fish on Fb

Subscribe to the Cowboys Fish Report on YouTube for fixed every day Cowboys live-stream podcasts and studies!