The Dallas Cowboys are off to a successful start to the new season thanks to a much improved defence. When they take on the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, all eyes will once again be on shooting star Trevon Diggs.

Munich/Dallas – The showpiece of the Dallas Cowboys remains their offence this season. With the return of franchise quarterback Dak Prescott, the machinery is running like clockwork and the franchise stands with a positive balance.

Defensive transformation in Dallas

Last year, the offense started off similarly hot, but the spotty defense ensured that even with Prescott, it hailed three losses in the first four games. So the plan in the offseason was clear: the defence has to be able to back up the highly explosive offence every now and then.

So far, this plan is working. Defensive end Demarcus Lawrence, an important pillar of the pass rush, is injured, but unlike last year, the Cowboys now have alternatives who can step into the breach.

First-round linebacker Micah Parsons draws the focus of opposing offenses, allowing other youngsters to shine away from the spotlight. In the first few games, one in particular caused a stir: Cornerback Trevon Diggs.

Monster start for Trevon Diggs

This season started off with a bang for the 2020 second-round pick. In the opening game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in which Prescott kept “America’s Team” in the game for a long time, Diggs caused the first interception of the season. But it wasn’t only quarterback Tom Brady he could annoy on this day.

Star receiver Mike Evans was given a personal bodyguard in Diggs, who held him to just three receptions for 24 receiving yards at the end of the game. The young Cowboys defence forced a total of four turnovers, and despite the unfortunate defeat, Diggs and Co. put a first small exclamation mark on the game.

In the second game against the Los Angeles Chargers, a similar picture emerged. Here, too, the defence stood up to the strong Chargers offence and held them to just 17 points. Diggs again excelled individually and also recorded an interception against Justin Herbert.

Against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3, Diggs finally celebrated his breakthrough on the big stage. With an interception and subsequent score, he not only provided the deciding factor in the game, but also scored the first touchdown of his career. Among other things, this is why he has now been honoured by the NFL.

Best Defensive Player of the Month – can there be more?

The 24-year-old is the only player to record an interception in all three games this season. He now already sets his rookie season’s yield with three intercepted passes.

As a result, he was voted “Defensive Player Of The Month” in the NFC by the NFL. This makes him the first defensive back in Cowboys history to secure such an award. With a “Coverage Grade” of 87.1 out of 100, the experts of “Pro Football Focus” also currently see him as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.

“It’s an honour,” he said of the award on “NBC”: “I’m happy about it, but at the same time I have to keep focusing on the athletic. I just want to win the award again, that’s how I approach it,” Diggs said, explaining his ambitions.

Confidence or humility? A healthy mix

Following the successful start, he can logically hardly escape compliments. “I always knew he was a Pro Bowler or an All-Pro defender,” wide receiver CeeDee Lamb said of the young cornerback after the Eagles game.

Despite the praise, Diggs, who Cowboys owner Jerry Jones calls a “receiver just masquerading as a cornerback,” wants to keep working on himself. “I’m still new, so I have to keep working on myself,” promised Diggs, who played wide receiver in high school.

“The other cornerbacks are way ahead of me. I have to work hard on myself to become as good as them – in the best case even better,” he explained further. The eagerness to work is no coincidence: “My family has always lived by that. Just work and keep going,” said the 24-year-old.

This plays a big role in his life anyway: “My son wanted me to make an interception and score a touchdown. So I figured I’d give him that,” Diggs replied when asked where his great confidence would come from.

Hurdle Carolina: Defense battle against the Panthers?

On Sunday, Diggs and Co. will take on the unbeaten Carolina Panthers. Similar to the Cowboys, the defensive side of the field has been particularly surprising in the first three games. With just 573 yards allowed, the Panthers currently have the best defence in the league.

A game that would have been full of points in previous years now threatens to become a hard-fought defensive battle. It is not unlikely that a defensive big play will decide the game at the end.

So it’s good for the Cowboys that they have a real expert in Trevon Diggs in their ranks.