Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs challenges PFF’s over his 2021 season

Fueled by the release of the latest Madden ratings, the Cowboys ball hawk spoke out on PFFs evaluation of him. @KDDrummondNFL looks at why he’s right.

With the recent release of EA Sports Madden’s ratings for their latest money grab, err, edition of the game, the talk of player rankings hit its apex in recent days. Without any licensed NFL competition, Madden’s annual reset has lost its luster from the iconic status it held during the 1990s and 2000s, but continues to be the only avenue for fans to compete with their favorite teams. With multiple generations of said fans growing up with skunk rules and trash talking, it still has a strangle hold on the simulation community despite failing to be revelatory in any meaningful way over the last decade.

Still, their ratings release moves needles and 2022 is no different. They’ve released positional top 10s on a daily schedule and Thursday was the cornerbacks turn, with a list that did not include 2021 interception leader, second-year Dallas Cowboys star Trevon Diggs. The cornerback room is crowded but not including a player with 11 picks is a questionable understanding of NFL talent levels and Diggs seems to believe the confusion has a source, Pro Football Focus.

PFF is a paid service which has a group of data collectors assigned to watch every game in the NFL on a weekly basis. Those data collectors are trained to grade player performance on a -2 to +2 per-play basis and more specifically for cornerbacks, assign responsibility in coverage based on their perceptions. Throughout the season, PFF graders would sometimes assign responsibilities to Diggs other outlets did not. As the 2021 season neared its conclusion, the outlet claimed Diggs reached a negative milestone in his coverage, allowing over 1,000 yards to receivers he was guarding.

That assessment made the rounds across the NFL fan community, a group eager to knock down the accomplishments of an America’s Team star. For all of the love Dallas players get because of their huge fanbase, there are many more who love to have negative things to say about the team and its players.

This isn’t to say that Diggs’s doesn’t have room for improvement. He did give up his fair share of big plays. But the narrative that he was boom or bust and that he gave up as many big plays as he created is rubbish.

This is ground that has been covered before here at Cowboys Wire. PFF says Diggs allowed 1,068 coverage yards. Meanwhile Pro Football Reference says Diggs gave up 907. He was targeted 103 times and gave up 54 receptions and four touchdowns, but also had 11 interceptions, 10 pass deflections and two touchdowns of his own.

The discrepancy in narrative led to creating the ANY/CS metric, adjusted net yards per coverage snap.

It applies a well-respected advanced stat formula used to evaluate QBs and applies it to corners by adding in over of PFF’s objective stats, snaps in pass coverage.

ANYA/CS: Adjusted net passing yards allowed per target = ((Passing Yards Allowed-Return Yardage) + (Passing TDs Allowed – Return TDs)*20 – (INTs)*45)) / (Coverage Snaps)

The formula gives touchdowns and interceptions a yardage value (not decided by me, but by renowned data scientists) and then tallies how well a corner does on a passing play-by-play basis. It incorporates the impact of interceptions; whether the CB dropped to the ground or actually produced yards and points for his team once he got the ball in his hands.

And Diggs shined in this light, ranking fourth overall and sandwiched between New England’s J.C. Jackson and Cleveland’s Denzel Ward.

Ward was ranked No. 4 by Madden, Jackson No. 8.

Now admittedly, coverage isn’t the only aspect of a corner’s game that matters, as run support is vital. But in a league where analysts are constantly decrying how unimportant rushing the ball is, a corner’s value should be heavily dependent on his ability to make plays when thrown at.

Based on his 2021 season, there’s no question that Diggs was one of the 10 best CBs in that regard.

ANYA/CS 2021 CB Rankings

Rk Player Tm Age Pos G Tgts/
Gm		 Cvg Snaps INT Tgt Yds Allwd TD Allwd Return Yds Return TDs ANYA/CS
1 Rasul Douglas GNB 27 cb 12 5.3 490 5 64 351 2 105 2 0.04
2 Jamel Dean TAM 25 CB 15 4.4 579 2 66 319 0 6 0 0.39
3 J.C. Jackson NWE 26 CB 17 6.2 590 8 106 658 3 92 1 0.42
4 Trevon Diggs DAL 23 CB 16 6.4 679 11 103 907 4 142 2 0.46
5 Denzel Ward CLE 24 CB 15 5.2 530 3 78 435 4 103 1 0.48
6 A.J. Terrell ATL 23 CB 16 5.4 571 3 86 417 3 42 0 0.53
7 K’Waun Williams SFO 30 cb 14 3.5 531 1 49 314 1 4 0 0.54
8 Emmanuel Moseley SFO 25 CB 11 5.0 495 1 55 318 0 0 0 0.55
9 Levi Wallace BUF 26 CB 17 4.8 684 2 81 470 2 29 0 0.57
10 Darius Slay PHI 30 CB 16 5.3 615 3 85 535 3 72 1 0.60
11 Taron Johnson BUF 25 CB 16 4.3 641 1 69 396 2 4 0 0.60
12 Nate Hobbs LVR 22 cb 16 3.9 592 1 62 399 1 9 0 0.62
13 Casey Hayward LVR 32 CB 17 3.3 712 1 56 427 3 0 0 0.62
14 Jalen Ramsey LAR 27 CB 16 6.1 744 4 98 624 3 41 0 0.62
15 Patrick Surtain DEN 21 CB 16 6.0 533 4 96 545 3 70 1 0.63
16 Chidobe Awuzie CIN 26 CB 14 6.5 655 2 91 494 3 42 0 0.64
17 Eli Apple CIN 26 CB 16 4.9 797 2 78 602 3 50 0 0.65
18 Xavien Howard MIA 28 CB 16 5.8 642 5 93 614 6 54 1 0.68
19 Adoree’ Jackson NYG 26 CB 13 5.6 496 1 73 353 2 10 0 0.68
20 Robert Alford ARI 33 cb 13 4.3 408 1 56 290 3 23 0 0.69
21 Tre’Davious White BUF 26 CB 11 5.8 403 1 64 328 0 0 0 0.70
22 Patrick Peterson MIN 31 CB 13 5.8 548 1 76 477 2 66 1 0.70
23 Avonte Maddox PHI 25 cb 16 4.6 520 1 74 412 1 -1 0 0.75
24 Amani Oruwariye DET 25 CB 14 5.5 535 6 77 671 4 73 0 0.76
25 Rashad Fenton KAN 24 cb 14 3.9 422 0 54 322 0 0 0 0.76
26 D.J. Reed SEA 25 CB 14 6.3 606 2 88 507 3 9 0 0.77
27 Nik Needham MIA 25 cb 17 3.7 414 2 63 459 0 28 1 0.78
28 Carlton Davis TAM 25 cb 10 7.0 530 1 70 422 3 25 0 0.78
29 Eric Stokes GNB 22 CB 16 6.1 669 1 97 511 3 0 0 0.79
30 David Long LAR 23 cb 16 2.9 437 1 46 374 1 0 0 0.80
31 Chandon Sullivan GNB 25 cb 17 3.9 613 3 67 560 4 14 0 0.80
32 Kristian Fulton TEN 23 CB 13 5.5 523 2 72 496 2 13 0 0.83
33 L’Jarius Sneed KAN 24 CB 15 5.3 661 2 80 585 3 2 0 0.84
34 Cameron Dantzler MIN 23 cb 14 5.3 433 1 74 349 3 0 0 0.84
35 Logan Ryan NYG 30 DB 15 3.5 567 0 52 442 2 0 0 0.85
36 Charvarius Ward KAN 25 CB 13 5.8 584 2 76 511 4 0 0 0.86
37 Mike Hilton CIN 27 cb 17 5.0 657 2 85 653 4 59 1 0.86
38 Jourdan Lewis DAL 26 CB 16 4.8 587 3 76 686 3 88 0 0.89
39 Cameron Sutton PIT 26 CB 16 4.5 684 2 72 617 5 4 0 0.91
40 Chris Harris LAC 32 CB 14 3.9 454 1 55 406 3 0 0 0.93
41 Kenny Moore IND 26 CB 17 7.1 655 4 121 763 6 78 0 0.95
42 Brandon Stephens BAL 24 DB 17 2.4 461 0 41 387 3 0 0 0.97
43 Darious Williams LAR 28 CB 14 6.6 706 0 92 610 4 0 0 0.98
44 Greg Newsome CLE 21 CB 12 5.2 410 0 62 383 1 0 0 0.98
45 Brandin Echols NYJ 24 CB 14 5.4 461 2 75 599 1 50 1 1.00
46 Byron Murphy ARI 23 CB 16 6.1 583 4 98 731 5 49 1 1.00
47 Steven Nelson PHI 28 CB 16 4.5 628 1 72 577 5 4 0 1.00
48 Joe Haden PIT 32 CB 12 4.6 446 0 55 394 3 0 0 1.02
49 Donte Jackson CAR 26 CB 12 5.6 417 2 67 478 3 21 0 1.02
50 Sidney Jones SEA 25 CB 16 4.8 447 0 77 419 2 0 0 1.03
51 Jalen Mills NWE 27 CB 16 4.1 526 0 65 406 7 0 0 1.04
52 Anthony Brown DAL 28 CB 16 7.6 706 3 122 836 5 45 1 1.04
53 William Jackson WAS 29 CB 12 5.5 494 2 66 498 6 0 0 1.07
54 Elijah Molden TEN 22 cb 16 3.8 445 1 61 489 3 2 1 1.08
55 Paulson Adebo NOR 22 CB 17 5.2 577 3 89 715 5 50 0 1.09
56 Janoris Jenkins TEN 33 CB 14 6.4 650 1 90 639 6 0 0 1.10
57 Josh Norman SFO 34 CB 15 4.0 479 1 60 542 4 40 0 1.12
58 Mike Hughes KAN 24 cb 17 3.6 427 1 61 424 5 0 0 1.12
59 Michael Davis LAC 26 CB 14 6.1 523 1 86 534 5 0 0 1.13
60 Dont’e Deayon LAR 27 cb 10 4.5 358 0 45 391 1 0 0 1.15
61 James Bradberry NYG 28 CB 17 6.8 689 4 115 848 8 19 0 1.17
62 Shaquill Griffin JAX 26 CB 14 4.7 505 0 66 542 3 0 0 1.19
63 Michael Carter NYJ 22 cb 15 4.9 472 0 73 551 1 0 0 1.21
64 Ronald Darby DEN 27 CB 11 6.4 412 0 70 470 2 0 0 1.24
65 Marshon Lattimore NOR 25 CB 16 6.6 640 3 106 826 7 35 0 1.24
66 Anthony Averett BAL 27 CB 14 7.2 537 3 101 768 3 21 0 1.25
67 Tyson Campbell JAX 21 CB 15 5.4 503 2 81 667 3 3 0 1.26
68 Kendall Fuller WAS 26 CB 16 7.1 649 1 113 805 4 0 0 1.29
69 Xavier Rhodes IND 31 CB 13 4.7 402 1 61 510 3 4 0 1.30
70 Byron Jones MIA 29 CB 16 5.6 621 0 90 729 4 0 0 1.30
71 Fabian Moreau ATL 27 CB 16 5.5 593 0 88 647 8 0 0 1.36
72 Marco Wilson ARI 22 CB 14 5.3 515 0 74 588 6 0 0 1.37
73 Bryce Hall NYJ 24 CB 17 6.4 668 0 109 794 7 0 0 1.40
74 Kyle Fuller DEN 29 cb 16 4.2 477 0 67 553 6 0 0 1.41
75 Tevaughn Campbell LAC 28 cb 16 3.8 409 0 61 558 1 0 0 1.41
76 Marlon Humphrey BAL 25 CB 12 7.0 490 1 84 665 6 0 0 1.51
77 Mackensie Alexander MIN 28 cb 16 4.4 495 0 70 648 5 0 0 1.51
78 Kindle Vildor CHI 24 DB 17 3.5 472 0 59 598 6 0 0 1.52

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