Trevon Diggs shutting down Justin Jefferson is crucial for a Dallas Cowboys win over the Minnesota Vikings in week 8. Diggs has been one of the best cover defensive backs in the NFL this season with seven interceptions in six games. He has also been a terrific defender allowing only a 48 percent completion rate, near the top of the NFL.
Trevon Diggs Shadowing Justin Jefferson Key in Week 8 for Cowboys Victory
Diggs Should Shadow Jefferson on Sunday
The Vikings boast an explosive offense looking to stay on track Sunday against the Cowboys. Kirk Cousins is having one of his best seasons on record with a myriad of pass catchers. Jefferson and Adam Thielen headline the wide receiver core while the rookie K.J. Osborn has looked great at times. Thielen’s route-running is second-to-none in the NFL and he is a premier red-zone threat. Jefferson is a physical young receiver looking to add-on to his impressive rookie season.
Jefferson has assumed the alpha wide receiver role in Minnesota with 542 yards and three touchdowns just six games into the 2021 season. If the Cowboys want to shut down this offense, they need to start with Justin Jefferson. Trevon Diggs has been an elite cornerback in 2021 and should draw shadow duties on the sophomore wide receiver. Diggs vs. Jefferson will have all the star power and hype to be one of the more electric matchups of the 2021 season.
Trevon Diggs vs Justin Jefferson is going to be must-see TV 🍿 pic.twitter.com/HOYnfPD1yJ
— PFF (@PFF) October 27, 2021
Dalvin Cook and the Offensive Line
The Dallas Cowboys run defense has been very good this season only allowing 517 rush yards. Part of this is due to the Cowboys offense jumping out to big leads. The Dallas offense is dictating the pace of play and game script for the other team forcing teams to abandon the run and pass back into games. Part of the Dallas rush defense is execution. The Cowboys so far have been in a great position to stop the run, thanks to defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. The defensive line is also playing great while missing both Demarcus Lawrence and Neville Gallimore. Backing up the defensive line are Leighton Vander Esch and Micah Parsons, making up the best linebacking core in the NFL.
Dalvin Cook is an elite running back heading up one of the country’s top rushing attacks. Aside from creating turnovers, the rushing defense has been the strength of this battered Cowboys defense. The Vikings offensive line and Cook have a tall task ahead of them on Sunday night. The Vikings love to use play-action passing in tandem with big runs by Dalvin Cook and if the run game can get going, Dallas could be in for a long night.
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Dak Prescott and the Offense
The Vikings have been good against the pass thus far. This will be a challenging night against a skilled group in Minnesota. The Cowboys have one of the most talented skill groups in the NFL and will need a balanced attack from Dak Prescott, the wide-receiver room, and Ezekiel Elliott to secure a victory.
The Vikings rush defense has been pedestrian, allowing 768 rush yards to opposing backs with six touchdowns. For the Cowboys passing attack to get going, Elliott and the offensive line need to set the tone early on in this contest. Play-action passing is a big part of the Dallas offense as well and against a skilled secondary, Dallas will need to have both aspects going for them to score in this potential shootout.
Primetime Matchup
This primetime matchup looks to be a high-scoring contest as Cousins and Prescott face-off offensively. The most exciting matchup is most likely to be Diggs vs. Jefferson. Diggs shutting down Justin Jefferson is key for a Dallas victory. If Cousins and Jefferson can get the advantage on Diggs and the Cowboys defense, this game could get scary for Dallas on Halloween.
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