The Pittsburgh Steelers are facing the dangerous Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, but they aren’t facing America’s Team at its best.
That is doubly so on the defensive side of the ball, where Dallas is without its two best edge rushers, Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence. The two bring the potency of the unit down a couple of notches, and Lawrence’s ability to play the run is especially important against Pittsburgh and an offense that loves to pound the rock.
However, the Cowboys got some good news on Saturday that doesn’t bode well for the Steelers’ passing offense.
Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs tackles Giants wide receiver Malik Nabers.
Brad Penner-Imagn Images
According to Jordan Schultz, Dallas corner Trevon Diggs is expected to play for Sunday’s nightcap.
Needless to say, the Cowboys are fortunate that their top defensive back – who was dealing with an ankle injury – can go.
The Dallas secondary wasn’t particularly deep to begin with, having lost ballhawk DaRon Bland to injury this summer. The team relied on Andrew Booth to step in for Diggs while he missed part of the Week 4 victory and the replacement struggled mightily, to a point where he would’ve been the target of the Steelers’ game plan if he were to start on Sunday.
Instead, the Cowboys boast a corner who specializes in creating turnovers and has shown an improved ability to win in man coverage against top receivers. In a matchup as tightly contested as this one – Pittsburgh is a field-goal favorite at home – one player could make all the difference.
Further, Diggs’ role is made more significant by the Steelers’ lack of depth at receiver. It’s no secret that receiver George Pickens is the only target worth worrying about in this offense, and being shadowed by a star corner could make an aerial attack hard to put together.
Steelers quarterback Justin Fields has largely avoided turnovers amidst his hot start. Against a Dallas defense, headlined by Diggs, that won’t be easy.
