The Dallas Cowboys aren’t fully healthy yet, but they’re finally starting to turn a corner as they gear up for their trip to Carolina. Brian Schottenheimer just got a two-way boost heading into Week 6, and with a 2-2-1 record, Dallas is itching to start stacking some wins.

According to Insider Ian Rapoport, both cornerbacks Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland are listed as questionable on the injury report, but should be full go against the Panthers. “CBs Trevon Diggs (knee) and DaRon Bland (shoulder) are both listed as questionable and both expected to go, sources say,” he wrote on X.

Trevon Diggs spent all week on the injury report with a sore knee, while fellow corner DaRon Bland battled through a shoulder issue. Both were listed as questionable heading into the weekend, but all signs point to them suiting up for Week 6. And that’s pretty massive for a Dallas defense that’s already hanging by a thread.

Diggs and Bland both played in Week 5 against the New York Jets, combining for 11 tackles, and the Cowboys will need every bit of that effort again. They’re already dead last in the league in passing defense, so losing either of them would’ve been a disaster. The good news? They’re likely in. The bad news? Even when Diggs is on the field, he just hasn’t looked like himself this season.

Through five games, Diggs has logged 262 defensive snaps, but that production doesn’t really match the workload. PFF has him ranked 69th among 169 eligible cornerbacks with a grade of 62.6. That’s… not great for a guy who was considered one of the top corners in football not too long ago.

He’s allowing an 81.8% completion rate on throws his way (nine catches on 11 targets), and both his yards per completion (18.7) and yards per target (15.3) are the worst of his career. To make it even worse, opposing quarterbacks are posting a perfect 158.3 passer rating when targeting him.

As for Bland, he’s been steadier: 15 combined tackles in three games. But this secondary needs a spark. They’ll face Bryce Young and rookie receiver Tetairoa McMillan this week, plus a red-hot former Cowboy in Rico Dowdle, who just ran for 206 yards against Miami. Not exactly the matchup you want when your defense is statistically the worst in the NFL.

Dallas is giving up 412 total yards per game, more than anyone else, and a league-high 284.6 passing yards per contest. So, yeah, getting Diggs and Bland back healthy is great, but that’s where the good news ends. Especially since Diggs is now also taking a hit from the league office.

Trevon Diggs gets handed a fine by the NFL

Last week’s win against the Jets was dominant. A 37–22 victory that should’ve been all smiles. But the NFL slapped two Cowboys with fines, including Diggs. The cornerback was docked $12,172 for a “striking/kicking/tripping/kneeing” violation after getting into a heated exchange with Jets wide receiver Arian Smith.

Things got a little heated when Smith headbutted him, and Diggs responded by swinging a fist. The refs flagged him for it. Just the second penalty of his entire season and the first one that actually got enforced.

For what it’s worth, Diggs has cleaned up his act a bit in recent years. Early in his career, he had a reputation for being too handsy and drawing flags left and right. Last season, though, he was flagged just twice, and both of his 2024 penalties have come for unnecessary roughness.

Still, the league doesn’t care much for ‘cleaner’ when you’re out there swinging throws. And amidst the penalties, the inconsistent play, and the knee injury, it’s been a rocky start for Diggs. But with Dallas desperate to turn things around defensively, he doesn’t have time to dwell on it. This Week 6 matchup might be his best shot yet to remind everyone that he’s still up there.