Overshown shines, Dowdle among Cowboys winners, loser in the secondary

New York lined up with two tight ends on the right side and snapped the ball with a play-action fake to their left. A blitzing Cowboys linebacker, DeMarvion Overshown, collides with Giants running back Tyrone Tracey Jr., before continuing en route to quarterback Drew Lock.

Overshown sensed the running back gave up too easily and sniffed out the well-timed screen, who then tips the pass into the air before intercepting the ball and taking it 24 yards for the Cowboys first touchdown of the game.

The linebacker finished the game with 9 tackles to go along with his game-breaking interception and a fumble recovery. The second-year player is not only a Thanksgiving winner, he may now be viewed as a major defensive piece for the Cowboys moving forward.

That play highlights Overshown’s versatility and his importance to this team. His arrival may be the first true game-altering player Dallas has had on the second level of their defense since linebacker Sean Lee suited up.

Loser may be a harsh word according to the context Winners and Losers has used in the past but a week after having his NFL moment, a non-contact injury sent cornerback Josh Butler to the locker room before halftime with what appeared to be a significant right knee injury.

The Michigan State alum recorded 12 tackles and deflected three passes in a victory over Washington last week. With only so many games remaining, his season may be over just as it was beginning.

Butler lost both parents while at East Lansing and opted to walk out on Senior Day with his two dogs shedding light on how much adversity this young man has been through. He may be in the loser category today but there is no doubt Butler was already a winner.

The Cowboys’ 2023 Draft class hit rock bottom when they were voted the worst group at the conclusion of their rookie seasons. This year, a slow start in Dallas compounded the issue, and the class slowly faded into oblivion.

Overshown (third round) was already highlighted for his unreal performance on Thanksgiving but tight end Luke Schoonmaker, whom Dallas took in the second round of that draft, has slowly worked his way into a viable receiving option.

Schoonmaker finished with five catches for 33 yards against the Giants.

First-round pick Mazi Smith was expected to shore up the interior of the defense but fell out of favor with fans for below-mediocre play. Another slow start to the year pushed many to wonder about his roster spot but Smith has climbed the ladder with his play of late.

His recent run of analytics sheds a positive light on how well he has played of late. Smith could shed the draft bust label if he can continue to stack performances like this.

2023 fifth-rounder Asim Richards, although currently on injured reserve, has developed into a nice offensive lineman and could be the leading candidate to become the team’s swing tackle next season. Richards has played well filling in for injured starters as well.

Although there is still much room for growth, the 2023 draft class is finally contributing to the Cowboys.

Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott once jumped into the giant Salvation Army Red Kettle on Thanksgiving and donations soared 61% from his act. The team followed it up later by tossing quarterback Dak Prescott into the kettle after a touchdown.

Both players were fined but the awareness they brought was beneficial and worth the price the players paid to spread awareness. This year, the celebrations were, average.

With plenty of chances, an investigation into what exactly the Cowboys had planned could be warranted as a few newly debuted Cowboys nuggets were suspiciously left behind.

The 2024 season hasn’t been kind so celebrating the good moments was much needed for this prideful team. A rehearsed celebration that went viral would have done good on and off the field.

Tyson released their new nuggets on Thanksgiving featuring their new star shape branded with the Cowboys emblem. A celebration featuring both would have boosted nugget sales but more importantly, raised more money for the needy.

Dallas could get a mulligan to help assist the Red Kettle campaign on December 9 when they host the Bengals on Monday Night football.

The Dallas pass rush once again came alive recording six total sacks on quarterback Drew Lock and the Giants. Although the entire defensive line deserves credit, the late free-agent addition of veteran defensive end Carl Lawson is starting to pay off.

Lawson finished the day with one sack and three quarterback pressures. He also had five of the team’s 14 quarterback hits adding to an interesting stat.

To begin the second half, New York faced a third down on their opening drive. Linebacker Eric Kendricks gets credit for the sack but Lawson forced a fumble which was recovered by DeMarvion Overshown.

In six games, Lawson has recorded four sacks and it has become obvious he is getting more comfortable in Dallas.

It took over two years but the Cowboys finally have a player rush for over 100 yards in a single game. Former Cowboys running back Tony Pollard was the last player to do so back in November of 2022 in an overtime loss to Green Bay.

RB Rico Dowdle carried the ball 22 times for 112 yards and scored his first rushing touchdown of the season. He also rushes for the first 20+ yard run at AT&T stadium this season.

It has been more than obvious that a larger workload for Dowdle would lead to a more balanced offense for Dallas and the nation got to see that first hand on Thanksgiving. A free agent for the first time at year’s end, Dallas has an interesting decision to make on Dowdle.

Regardless of his future, if Dallas wishes to continue this run they are on, featuring Dowdle could open up more opportunities for the entire offense.

Dallas is on its second two-game winning streak of the season and gets their first home win of the season. The Cowboys could sustain this run if they continue to receive reinforcements. With a few Cowboys available to return, getting to full strength, especially on defense, could propel the team into playoff contention.

Offensively, Dallas hasn’t been flashy, but they have been efficient enough to win games. Their balanced attack of late may be the product of injuries, and hopefully, the coaching staff can continue to keep defenses guessing by sticking to the run and inserting more play action and misdirection plays.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones began the week by saying an extension for head coach Mike McCarthy isn’t out of the question. If McCarthy can get this team to the playoffs and make some noise, perhaps Jones wasn’t wrong to say so.