Wide receiver Stefon Diggs, now with the Houston Texans, recently opened up about what he believes led to a sharp drop in his performance during the latter half of the 2023 season with the Buffalo Bills.
In an interview with GQ, Diggs shared his thoughts on how the mid-season departure of offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey may have played a significant role in his decreased production.
During the 2023 season, Diggs was off to a hot start, amassing over 100 receiving yards in five of Buffalo’s first six games.
However, after the Bills made the decision to move on from Dorsey, Diggs’ production took a noticeable downturn, failing to reach that milestone for the remainder of the season.
Reflecting on the season, Diggs noted the stark difference in how the games unfolded post-Dorsey.
“The games looked a lot different,” Diggs remarked. “You can blame me. I don’t mind blaming me. I got big-ass shoulders. But pay attention, pay real close attention. Watch the game. Of course, there’s plenty of plays I want back. But there’s a lot of plays that didn’t go my way.”
Of course, Bills fans can think of more than a few plays Diggs would love to have back…
Diggs emphasized the challenges he faced in maintaining his early-season form.
“I need a lot of things to go right to get the ball… You can’t roll out of bed and get 800 yards in the first eight games. Your best receiver’s doing that. You tell me about the last 10. What changed? Were there changes going on?
“I just pay attention to what really happened and not what people try to act like happened. Like, for the last 10 games, I forgot how to f*cking play football?”
Beyond the on-field issues, Diggs also acknowledged that he was in a difficult mental space during that time.
“Last year, I was in the worst mental space I’ve been in since I’ve been in the league,” he admitted. “If I’m not in a good space, obviously that’s not the best for me. So that’s when things had to start shaking out.”
Diggs appeared to take a measured approach when discussing his departure from Buffalo, choosing not to dwell on past grievances.
“If I feel targeted or I feel somebody’s saying something that’s wrong, can I say something? Yes. Will I say something? No. For what? I don’t gain nothing from it. None of these people sign any check of mine,” he said.
Diggs drew a parallel to his previous stint with the Minnesota Vikings, where he similarly refrained from airing grievances after forcing his way out of town.
“There’s some things that happened in Minnesota that I never shared, that I won’t share. Because I’m a professional. I believe in professionalism. You don’t gotta talk bad about your ex-girlfriend to your new girlfriend.”
Since joining the Texans, Diggs has made a strong impression, earning the title of team captain. Needless to say, he hopes to regain his old All-Pro form with C.J. Stroud and company down in Houston.
What are your thoughts on Diggs’ comments?
Do you think it’s a bad look for him to attempt to make all of these excuses???