This week he’ll face Dallas Cowboys All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs, a former Alabama star who matched up against Chase, a former LSU All-American, in college. Diggs had 11 interceptions for Dallas last season, and even returned two for touchdowns. But he’s also gained a reputation as a gambler, meaning he’s susceptible to giving up the big play often.
In preparation of their matchup, Chase talked about Diggs as a player and while he has respect for him, he also says Diggs doesn’t always play with sound technique, instead relying heavily on his elite speed and athleticism. Some even refer to him as “boom or bust” type corner.
Chase Speaks Candidly About Diggs
In an interview leading up to Sunday’s matchup, Chase had this to say about Diggs.
“He’s an athlete. He’s got great ball skills in the air. He’s super fast. He’s not too much on technique-sound, though. He’s a little hit or miss. He’s either all the way on or not on at all. But he’s definitely a great athlete.”
Chase got the better of Diggs in their college matchup, catching six balls for 140 yards and one touchdown, as LSU beat Alabama for the first time nine seasons. The win helped catapult the Tigers to the 2019 CFP national championship.
#Bengals Ja'Marr Chase on #Cowboys Trevon Diggs: "He's not too much on technique sound. He's a little hit or miss."pic.twitter.com/ebLq03BmyG
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) September 16, 2022
Bengals QB Joe Burrow also chimed in on Diggs, whom he picked on quite often in that 2019 matchup won by the Tigers (46-41).
“He makes a lot of plays, with however many interceptions he has last year. It felt like a million. He’s not afraid to take chances. He’s going to jump routes, and you’ve got to be aware of who you’re throwing a 50-50 to when he’s covering them, because he’s going to make a play. I think he was a former receiver at some point in his career. You’ve got to be aware of that.”
While both Chase and Burrow are showing respect to Diggs, they won’t be afraid to test him as they did in college in 2019 in “The Game of The Century.” Chase believes he can beat any corner, and he should after the 2021 season he put together.
Diggs Says He Doesn’t Understand What Take Chances Is
In response to Chase’s comments, Diggs told the Dallas Morning News this:
“I don’t know what take chances means. I play football.”
Yes, Diggs plays a high-quality brand of football, but his style of defense involves a ton of gambling. He’s big on jumping routes and trying to get interceptions, and because of that style he’s known as a bit of a risk taker.
Sunday should be fun, but in today’s football it’s unlikely we’ll get to see a lot of one-on-one matchups between the two.
Both Teams Are 0-1 And Need A Win
The Cowboys were manhandled by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 19-3 Week 1 loss. In fact, Dallas was the only team in the NFL to not touch paydirt.
To add insult to injury, the team also lost star quarterback Dak Prescott to a broken thumb that will sideline him for at least four weeks. That, along with an anemic offense, is a recipe for disaster against a Bengals team coming off a loss and loaded with weapons.
Read More TSL Stories:
