Cowboys: DaRon Bland and Stephon Gilmore face scary test in Week 8
Since the moment that All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs went down with a season-ending injury after Week 2, plenty of people have assumed the Dallas Cowboys' secondary has taken a downturn. Perhaps such feelings were reinforced when the San Francisco 49ers bulldozed America's Team in Week 5. However, the Cowboys' cornerbacks, particularly the two on the […]
Since the moment that All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs went down with a season-ending injury after Week 2, plenty of people have assumed the Dallas Cowboys' secondary has taken a downturn.
Perhaps such feelings were reinforced when the San Francisco 49ers bulldozed America's Team in Week 5.
However, the Cowboys' cornerbacks, particularly the two on the outside, have played like one of the best duos in the entire NFL. DaRon Bland is quickly emerging as one of the best cover corners in the league and while Stephon Gilmore isn't as fast as before, he's playing at a high level.
Just consider the numbers, here's where each ranks among 126 cornerbacks per Pro Football Focus.
Completion % allowed
Bland: 48.1% (12th)
Gilmore: 46.7% (11th)
NFL Passer Rating allowed
Bland: 22.7 (4th)
Gilmore: 71.1 (21st)
Even though I disagree with them, I get the doubts, I really do. The secondary would be better off with Diggs and it's not like they've faced top-tier offenses lately (the Chargers could be an exception and even then they had some big moments and the Cowboys to benefit from their pass rush causing Justin Herbert to miss consistently).
I agree the unit would be better with Trevon on the field and Bland manning the nickel. Even still, the latter and Gilmore have done a good job filling in for No. 7. As for nickel cornerback Jourdan Lewis, he's been solid on the inside, allowing a catch every nine snaps, which is right around league average, ranking 18th of 43 in qualifying slot cornerbacks.
It just feels like labeling this unit as bad or concerning because of Trevon's injury is silly at best, and disrespectful at worst.
All of this being said, the Cowboys do face a daunting challenge this weekend against the Rams as they'll take on one of the best (scariest could be an appropriate term too, since it's Halloween weekend) WR duos in the entire league.
They'll get a chance to prove everyone wrong or they'll be bested by these two.
Can the Cowboys slow down Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua?
Listen, 'tis the NFL. That means I don't expect Dan Quinn's defense to shut down these two players, who have really taken over the league. We knew all about Kupp's skills. But Nacua, a fifth-round rookie, has been one of the best stories in football this year as he's amassed 752 yards in 58 catches through seven games.
Nacua has had three games with 119+ receiving yards, including last week's 154-yard performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
What makes the Rams' duo even more dangerous is the fact that they can interchange spots and are able to play inside or outside on a down-to-down basis.
There's one area where the Cowboys could hold an advantage, however. And that's playing man coverage, which they do at the highest rate in the league. Surprisingly, there's a noticeable dropoff in production from these two wide receivers against man, as you can see in the stats on the tweet below.
Surely, that doesn't mean Nacua and Kupp are bad against man coverage, but it can be a reflection of how tough it is to beat L.A. with zone looks. Additionally, it's hard to play man against a team that uses so much movement and eye candy in the run game. It'll be quite the chess match between Dan Quinn and Sean McVay.
Ultimately, I think the key to the Cowboys' secondary will allow Kupp and NAcua some moments. It's to be expected. However, the key will be avoiding the explosives.
The Rams have the second-most 20+ yard passes in the NFL. They rank 12th in EPA/play but 21st in success rate, per RBSDM. The difference between those two marks lies in the fact that while the Rams are inconsistent, they can hit defenses with a haymaker or two to make games ugly.
This is what the Cowboys can't have on Sunday if they want to avoid a post-bye upset. Bland and Gilmore will be under the microscope and they better wake up on the right foot.
