‘Get it done’: Trevon Diggs set up Cowboys game-winning drive despite communication issues

FRISCO – The last defensive stand for the Cowboys came with some communication issues. Cornerback Trevon Diggs’ tackle on Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd late in the fourth quarter of the Cowboys, 20-17 victory, wasn’t as smooth as everyone thought.

The communication device in Cowboys’ safety Malik Hooker’s helmet, so he could get signals from defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, went out.

Quinn said he had to communicate with the coaches on the sidelines so they relayed the signals to the players.

“I’m sure they were out on both sides,” Quinn said referring to the Bengals sideline. “Otherwise the home field advantage would really be … I saw (the Bengals) scrambling too. I knew both teams didn’t have the player to helmet communication.”

Diggs ended up making a clutch open field tackle to push the Bengals off the field setting up a game-winning drive that ended with Brett Maher making a 50-yard field goal in the closing seconds.

And while, yes, everything worked out for the Cowboys, sometimes everything doesn’t go according to plan.

“What impressed me so much, aside from his chaos, was the aggressive nature to go finish,” Quinn said. “That is what a real competitor does when it’s right there at the moment and you need to go get it done. It was a third and 3 and in that space there is no room to give. You got to go, defend them and play it. It was one of my favorite plays in the game.”

Prescott’s stitches

Quarterback Dak Prescott (thumb) is supposed to get the stitches removed from his thumb this week. The objective is whenever Prescott can comfortably grip a football is when the timeline starts for a possible comeback. Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones told KRLD-FM (105.3 FM The Fan) on Monday Prescott could return as early as the Week 4 game against Washington. Prescott’s timeline is four-to-six weeks in his recovery from a fractured thumb.

“You know, I just believe just like anything when you’re dealing with medical situations, when there’s surgery, there’s stitches,” McCarthy said. “He’ll get his stitches out at some point this week and that’s the first threshold and I think you always want to get over that before you get into timelines. That’s my approach.”

Turpin’s impact

Rookie returner KaVontae Turpin made two nice punt returns to setup field goals at the end of each halves. Turpin’s 20-yard return eventually led to Maher converting a 54-yard field goal with 14 seconds left in the first half. Turpin’s 14-yard return near the end of the game, also provided good field position as the Cowboys got a game-winning field goal.

Twitter: @calvinwatkins

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