Trevon Diggs is having one of the better seasons for a defensive back in Dallas Cowboys history. Not only does Diggs lead the league with eight interceptions, he’s three off Everson Walls’ franchise record of 11 interceptions with eight games to play.
Diggs will have his work cut out for him in facing Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs offense, yet Mahomes is making sure he doesn’t become the next victim of a Diggs turnover. Mahomes hasn’t thrown an interception in three weeks, but still has 10 on the season.
Diggs can easily give Mahomes No. 11.
“I mean when you have that many interceptions that means you know what’s going on, you have an understanding of what the offense is trying to do so you definitely have to have an eye on him at all times,” Mahomes said Wednesday. “He’s going to wait for his opportunity and usually when he gets his hands on it, he ends up making the catch so definitely a great player, someone you have to pay attention to on every single snap and try to find ways that you can have success in either other places or on him in certain areas.”
While Diggs has been a turnover machine, he is susceptible to the big play. Diggs has allowed 32 catches for 584 yards and three touchdowns while being targeted 57 times, allowing 18.3 yards per catch. Opposing quarterbacks targeting Diggs have just a 69.5 passer rating — mainly because of his eight interceptions.
“You can tell he was a receiver because he plays the route and then he’s got great hands,” Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said. “So, that shows up, and he’s long and tall. He’s got a great feel.”
Mahomes is expecting the Cowboys defense to be playing two-high safeties, forcing him to go underneath. He expects the Cowboys to be aggressive when he takes what’s given to him, which is where patience sets in.
If Diggs and the secondary bite, Mahomes will be ready to attack.
“They’re not going to sit back and give us the exact same coverage every single time. They’re going to try to find ways to confuse me and confuse this offense, so we have to make in-game adjustments,” Mahomes said. “We can still take what’s there and whenever the shots do present themselves, we have to hit those.”
