Tag: DeMarvion Overshown

Report: Cowboys LB gets encouraging update on Sunday’s knee injury

From @ToddBrock24f7: DeMarvion Overshown played like he was shot of a cannon Sunday. Early word on a knee injury he suffered is that he dodged a bullet.

Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown looked like he was playing at a different speed than the other 21 men on the field Sunday at AT&T Stadium. The second-year prospect out of Texas, playing in just his ninth game as a pro after losing his entire rookie season to a knee injury, finished the Cowboys’ 34-6 loss as the team’s leading tackler, adding two sacks, two QB hits, and two tackles for loss in what was one of the few bright spots on the day for the silver and blue.

It was all the more disheartening, then, to see the 24-year-old down on the turf in the third quarter of the Week 10 contest, requiring attention after a routine play in which he appeared to not even take a hit.

Overshown was able to return to the game after getting checked out by medical personnel and told the media afterward, “I’m great [physically]. I’ll be ready to go next week.”

Monday brought more good news for the former third-round draft pick.

NFL insider Ian Rapoport cites a source who explains that Overshown is dealing with a case of bursitis in his right knee. (He tore the ACL in his left knee last August.) Per Rapoport, X-rays on the knee were negative, and he appears to have avoided a significant injury.

Knee bursitis is a condition in which one or more small fluid-filled sacs near the joint become inflamed. While painful and possibly limiting in terms of movement, “treatment and rehab” from the Cowboys staff is the likely course of action.

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It is not known if the injury will affect Overshown’s practice schedule for the week or his availability for next Monday night’s game versus the Houston Texans.

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Promising Cowboys LB leaves Eagles game from non-contact injury

The young Cowboys LB was having a great game before having to leave for an undisclosed injury. | From @KDDrummondNFL

Update: Overshown was able to return to the game.

One of the few bright spots from the 2024 season has been the play of first-year linebacker DeMarvion Overshown. The University of Texas product missed his entire rookie season due to a summer ACL injury, but has largely looked unaffacted in his return.

During Sunday’s game against the Eagles, the first since the return of edge rush extraordinaire Micah Parsons, Overshown has been used to pressure the quarterback. The results have been electric, with the heat-seeking missile securing two of the Cowboys’ five first-half sacks. But in the second half, the mood has soured.

During the Eagles’ third drive of the third quarter, Overshown fell to the ground with a non-contact injury.

Through less than three quarters, Overshown has 11 tackles along with his two sacks, and he’s been the most impactful player on the defense that has tried as hard as possible to keep their team competitive while the offense sputters embarrassingly almost every time they’ve been on the field.

Dallas has lost a fumble in the red zone and also failed to convert two other opportunities, settling for field goals. With the score now 28-6, hearing the extent of Overshown’s injury may be the only thing yet to be decided in the contest.

Falcons RB Bijan Robinson earns sideline praise in game he’s not even playing in

The latest Cowboys’ Sounds from the Sideline video offers a glimpse into the Longhorn Legion as DeMarvion Overshown talks the difficulty in corralling his former teammate. | From @KDDrummondNFL

Anyone familiar with the state of Texas has a deep understanding of what football means to folks in that part of the world. Like Western Pennsylvania and several hotspots in California, the amount of talent from that part of the country is insane. And despite not winning a college football championship in some time, the brotherhood is extended to those who attend the University of Texas.

That was on display at an unexpected time in Week 4, when former UT and current Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown was getting accolades from his teammates for yet another impressive defensive play. Overshown chased down speedy Giants WR Wan’Dale Robinson on the left sideline to prevent a touchdown. When asked about it back on the sideline, he credited having to chase down former teammate and current Atlanta Falcons RB Bijan Robinson in practice.

It was all captured in the latest Dallas Cowboys Sounds from the Sideline video at the 3:52 mark.

“I used to practice against Bijan every [expletive day. At Texas? So I know… that’s where I learned. Bro when you close, don’t give ’em no time to think about a move.”

Overshown and Robinson were in the same draft class of 2023, but an ACL injury in training camp stole the Cowboys LB’s rookie season. Now that he’s back, he’s displaying an insane amount of closing speed and wrap-up tackling ability Dallas hasn’t had at the position in some time.

He’ll get a chance to show how capable he is in bringing down his former teammate when the Cowboys visit the Falcons in Week 9 on November 3.

 

More 3-4 looks may cover Cowboys’ temporary personnel problem

The Cowboys can’t replace Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence but maybe they don’t have to

The Cowboys essentially saved their season with their Week 4 win over the Giants, but the cost of victory was significant, losing both Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence in the process. Parsons, out 2-4 weeks with a high ankle sprain, and Lawrence, out 4-8 weeks with a Lisfranc injury, are by most accounts irreplaceable.

Parsons and Lawrence aren’t just Dallas’ top pressure players and key run defenders, but they are leaders on the field and the heart and soul of the defense. The falloff behind them appears to be immense with the rookie Marshawn Kneeland and longtime reserve Chauncey Golston slated to replace them in the starting lineup. In his fourth season, Golston has less than five career sacks to his name. Kneeland, sackless in the NFL, never logged more than 4.5 sacks in a single season in college. Based on their individual track records, it’s unlikely either player can replace half the production of the men they’re replacing.

It might be best if defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer flips the script.

Instead of inadequately filling the need at defensive end with role players, Zimmer may be better served to mix up front seven entirely. Given the strengths and weaknesses of the roster, the Cowboys could find it easier to employ a more traditional odd man front that leans on the defensive tackles rather than the defensive ends.

Contrary to popular belief many 3-4 and 4-3 fronts are extremely similar. Just because these are changes in personnel groupings doesn’t mean they change the system being played. The Cowboys already bounce between odd and even fronts frequently, using under, over and BEAR looks, including a 3-3-5. It wouldn’t be a fundamental change for Zimmer’s defense per say, just an effort to avoid plugging a round hole with a square peg.

Under this proposal the pressure players would come largely from the linebacker ranks. Dallas’ most explosive player, DeMarvion Overshown, could man an outside LB spot and serve as the chief pass rusher. The other outside LB spot could be filled by someone like Carl Lawson who has played that very role in both the NFL and back at Auburn.

Mazi Smith and Linval Joseph would rotate as the nose tackle and Osa Odighizuwa looks perfectly capable of being a playmaking defensive end. The other DE spot could be handled by a number of players including Kneeland and Golston. As 3-4 DEs they wouldn’t need to be the explosive players Parsons and Lawrence were because the playmaking roles would be on the edge LBs.

For the first time in a while the strength of the roster appears to be the LB position, so it only makes sense for the Cowboys to lean on it. And given Dallas’ issues defending the run this season, mixing things up could be just what this defense needs.

Moving to more three-man fronts sounds like a bigger change than it really is. It allows the Cowboys to lean on the strength of their roster and with any luck survive the losses of the team’s best playmakers.

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Official who called Giants for errant facemask has interesting Cowboys history

The referee who called an errant facemask on New York Giants TE Daniel Bellinger has a questionable history officiating Dallas Cowboys games.

The media is beating up the New York Giants for losing another winnable game against a division opponent after their 20-15 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night.

Yes, they had to settle for five field goals in the game and only got into the red zone twice, but if you look deeper, you’ll find that the officials in that game did not do them any favors.

Dial it back to the first quarter. The Giants took possession on their own 15 and drove down to the Dallas 37 in four plays. On the fifth play, a second-and-7, quarterback Daniel Jones ran for a four-yard gain to the 33.

The officials, whose crew is led by Clay Martin, called a facemask penalty on Giants tight end Daniel Bellinger negating the play. Replays revealed that Bellinger did not commit any penalty at all. In fact, the facemask should have been called on Dallas linebacker Demarion Overshown.

The officials got the call wrong and did not pick up the flag after a short conference. Instead of the Giants having a third-and-3 on the Dallas 33, they were pushed back 15 yards to the Dallas 48.

The Giants ended up settling for a field goal on that drive. Who’s to say they wouldn’t have anyway, but we’ll never know. In a game that was settled by less than one score, little things matter. They add up.

That’s not really the only point here, however. NFL analyst Warren Sharp posted this set of facts on his X media account:

We’re not big on conspiracy theories but we wouldn’t be doing our due diligence if we didn’t share these facts.

In fact, we’ll debunk any conspiracy right now by pointing out that Dallas was called for 11 penalties for 89 yards in the game to the Giants’ four for 35 yards.

But this one on Bellinger hurt. They should have picked up the flag.

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Spy vs Spy: These 3 Cowboys defenders hope to minimize Lamar Jackson’s impact for Ravens

The Cowboys have three spy options for Lamar Jackson and the Ravens in Week 3. | From @ReidDHanson

The Cowboys are notoriously dreadful against dual-threat quarterbacks. They routinely give up massive gains on scrambles, critical conversions on third downs and undisciplined execution on designed read-options to athletic QBs.

Dallas’ heavy use of man coverage, specifically Cover 1 looks, only compounds the damage since cover cornerbacks are playing with their backs to the QB. These coverages probably won’t change with Mike Zimmer at the helm on defense.

Like Dan Quinn, Zimmer loves man coverage, and given the Ravens propensity to run, coupled with Dallas’ struggles to stop said run, the Cowboys will likely once again lean on Cover 1 in Week 3. That’s because playing with just one deep safety means Dallas gets an extra player in the box which is something the Cowboys could desperately use.

Lamar Jackson, Baltimore’s explosive weapon at the position, isn’t just a good rushing QB, he’s by most accounts the best rushing QB in the NFL. The two-time NFL MVP is lightning fast with the ability to start and stop on a dime. He makes the other dual threats in the NFL look like they’re running in mud.

The Ravens utilize Jackson as one would expect – a runner. They frequently call designed runs, read options, zone reads, and even RPOs with a QB run element attached (RPO’s don’t inherently have run options for QBs attached).

Even the Ravens passing game leaves run options open for Jackson. Tuck-and-run is often his second read on plays so the Dallas defense will have to be prepared for a QB run every single down.

Normally this would spell certain doom for the Cowboys. That’s especially true coming off their embarrassing efforts in Week 2 against the Saints. But the Cowboys have a couple aces up their sleeves that could prove difference makers in Sunday’s showdown. They have DeMarvion Overshown and Marist Liufau.

The Cowboys’ two young linebackers are as explosive as it gets from the LB position. Overshown has a level of click-and-close that makes even Micah Parsons look mortal. Liufau is a hyper intelligent player known to play like his hair on fire for all 60 minutes. Both are positioned to serve as QB spys this Sunday. Both could be the difference maker in the Cowboys ability to stop Jackson.

There’s a debate raging over which one will be tasked with the job. Liufau is typically in base packages while Overshown is in for nickel packages. After shining like a star in Week 1, Overshown took the backseat in Week 2. The reason behind that is the Saints heavy use of 12 and 21 personnel warranted more base packages from Dallas last week.

Week 3 could bring a similar reaction from Zimmer since the Ravens have only played 11 personnel (3WR, which prompts nickel defense) 26.2 percent of the time this season. Unless Zimmer changes his packages, Liufau should expect the bulk of the snaps.

Dallas has also hinted at Parsons doing some spy work. Given Zimmer’s use of complicated and/or deceitful blitz packages, he could very well fake a pass rush and then drop Parsons into a spy role at times on Sunday. Based on what we know, Liufau will likely get the most spy opportunities with Overshown plugged in as a close second. Parsons or even a safety could be used in select situations behind them.

Will it be effective?

That’s anyone’s guess but the Cowboys seem to finally have some solid options on their staff who can successfully fill this role, which is much more than they’ve ever appeared to have in the past. Which spy on the Cowboys will be the biggest difference maker?

Everyone is about to find out.

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These two new Cowboys playmakers join two vets in ‘protect for the long haul’ status

Deep rotations and modest usage rates will be key to keeping Dallas’ most explosive players explosive down the stretch.

The new season is underway, and the Cowboys defense find itself rich in explosive talent. Familiar faces like Micah Parsons and Osa Odighizuwa lived up to their playmaker reputations in Week 1 but new talents like Marist Liufau and DeMarvion Overshown are also flashing as key playmakers for this 2024 campaign.

The quickness and impact of these players cannot be understated. Parsons is widely considered one of, if not, the preeminent pass rusher in the NFL. Odighizuwa is fast becoming one of the league’s top pressure-producing interior defensive linemen. All four are explosive. All four are gamebreakers. All four add a special explosiveness to the Cowboys defense. And all four must be preserved for late in the year.

Liufau was dinged up in Week 1, but the rookie linebacker has shown he’s an explosive second-level defender who has been said to play like his hair is on fire. And Overshown, fresh off an ACL induced redshirt season, appears to be moving at a different speed than the rest of the world.

https://twitter.com/RAanalytics/status/1832924842162897186

Spanning from September through potentially February, the NFL season is a long one. There are 17 regular season games and as many as four postseason games on the slate. Like a marathon, just surviving to the end is a feat onto itself. Players understandably break down.

https://twitter.com/NFL_DougFarrar/status/1833208321995903157

In previous years Parsons and Odighizuwa have both seen their production drop as seasons progress. They have been such critical components to the defense coaches have had a hard time taking them off the field to set a more preservation-focused pace.

A similar situation could be facing the two new guys at linebacker as well. Liufau straight from college, and Overshown straight from IR, are two budding star LBs with only one game on their professional resumes. The riggers of a 17+ game season are going to hit hard this year so the question is how much of a toll will it take?

All four playmakers rely heavily on their explosiveness to be difference makers. Take away that explosiveness late in the season and the Cowboys lose one of their most vital elements at a time when games mean most. Deep rotations and modest usage rates will be key to keeping Dallas’ most explosive players explosive down the stretch.

This might sound like a simple ask but there’s nothing simple about it. Overshown and Liufau instantly make the defense faster which impacts both phases of the game. As some of the smartest players on the roster, they fly to the ball. Overshown specifically looks to be shot out of cannon when in pursuit, doing things other players simply cannot.

Quick play at the second level is critical in stopping dual-threat quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, Jayden Daniels and Daniel Jones. Those four alone represent 44 percent of the remaining games on the Cowboys regular season schedule. It’s going to be hard putting Overshown on a snap count in these games but for the long-term interest of the club, it’s necessary.

Same goes for Parsons and Odighizuwa. Parsons is by far Dallas’ best edge rusher and with Sam Williams already out for the season, it will be difficult for Mike Zimmer to reduce his snaps. For the good of the postseason, he must. Odighizuwa is by far the Cowboys top interior pass rusher, yet Zimmer must find a way to do the same. He needs late season Odighizuwa looking like early season Odighizuwa and for that to happen, he probably needs a lower pitch count early.

The Cowboys have to find a way to make their January look different this season. They need to keep their eye on prize and that means doing things in the early season so they can be at their best late in the season.

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Cowboys LB DeMarvion Overshown’s odd rehab routine had him dropping ball carriers like flies in return

From @ToddBrock24f7: DeMarvion Overshown grew up in Texas horse country. One pasture pastime may have played a role in helping him get back to making tackles.

Splat.

That was how the Rams’ third offensive play ended Sunday, with running back Boston Scott being quickly dropped to the turf just as he was about to turn the corner on the Dallas defense.

The man doing the dropping? Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, who had shed a block and blown through to meet Scott at the line of scrimmage and complete the solo tackle.

It went in the books as a two-yard gain by the time Scott fell forward, but the second-year linebacker was already up and celebrating. That tackle had been a long time coming for the 23-year-old.

“It definitely felt good to make a play in an actual game again,” Overshown told reporters Sunday after the game. “It’s kind of like been built up for a year, just waiting for that moment again, and feeling those type of emotions again.”

Overshown, a 2023 third-round draft pick out of Texas, was having a brilliant rookie preseason last summer when he blew out an ACL in a preseason contest versus Seattle. His year was over, and as his team was forced to move on without him, Overshown had no choice but to start on the long and often lonely road to recovery all by himself.

“When you take that away from a competitor like myself, you’ve got to find little wins throughout the day,” he explained. “There were times where I’d go in my garage with a flyswatter and just hit flies all day just to feel good, just to feel something, reaction time.”

Splat.

It may sound unorthodox, especially when there’s a world-class physical therapy facility and a team of professional trainers just waiting at The Star. But for the kid who grew up in the tiny East Texas town of Arp, smack in the middle of horse country, his approach was perhaps the most natural thing in the world.

“You get a lot of bugs out there, and you grow up with a flyswatter,” Overshown grinned. “Grandma with a flyswatter in her hand. That’s just something you can work on your reaction time with, swatting at flies all day.”

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So Overshown picking off an opposing running back, Mr. Miyagi-style, just minutes into his return to the field was cause for celebration indeed. Not only for Cowboys fans who had seen his promising rookie campaign cut short, and not only for coaches who’ve always had an inkling of what they really have in the 6-foot-3 220-pounder, but also for Overshown himself to finally get the opportunity to resume a dream delayed.

“I think about that moment all the time, because when I got up off that injury, I was expecting to come back and play again. That’s what I was expecting out of myself. Getting the news that I was going to have to wait a year, it definitely hurt,” he said. “But I worked a whole year just to feel what I felt again today, in an actual game, living my dream all over again. So the journey was definitely worth it.”

Now wearing No. 13 for the Cowboys, Overshown believes the bad luck is behind him. He says he didn’t really even think about his repaired knee during Sunday’s game and was able to instead focus on football.

“Definitely, the nerves were there for a little bit, but after the first play, I got to hit somebody. Now we’re just doing what I love to do.”

Let that be a warning to all opposing running backs buzzing around the backfield this fall: DeMarvion Overshown is back. And he and his Texas-sized flyswatter are waiting.

Splat.

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Damone Clark may find better opportunity in new role on Cowboys

Damone Clark may be onto his third position in as many years with the Cowboys in 2024. | From @ReidDHanson

It hasn’t been an easy road for Damone Clark over the last three years. The former LSU standout linebacker was supposed to be a top pick in the 2022 draft before a failed medical evaluation, resulting in pre-draft spinal fusion surgery, that dropped him all the way to the Cowboys in the fifth round.

Many thought his rookie season would be a red-shirt year lost to recovery and rehab. What it proved to be was a medical marvel with Clark cruising through recovery and breaking into the Cowboys starting lineup for five games. In all, Clark would play a total of 414 snaps over the course of 10 games that season. Playing predominantly weakside LB (WILL), Clark flashed decent potential and looked every bit the steal Dallas hoped he’d be when they selected him 176th overall.

Things seemed to be back on track for Clark, until, of course, they weren’t. The Cowboys entered the 2023 season thin in their linebacker ranks. When they lost Leighton Vander Esch to what would be a career-ending injury, they were forced to move Clark into the middle (MIKE) to replace him. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound Clark wasn’t a clean fit, but he had the length the Cowboys wanted at MIKE, so they forced the transition.

For as hard as he worked, Clark never took to the MIKE role. His instincts didn’t fit cleanly, and his run fits weren’t filled consistently. It was clear they miscast him in the middle but without other options available, the Cowboys had to roll with it. In just a matter of months Clark went from bright young star to weakness of the defense.

It’s understandable the Cowboys made it a point to address the MIKE spot over the offseason. In what was arguably their only notable signing, Dallas brought in Eric Kendricks to man the middle of Mike Zimmer’s defense. Behind him will likely be Cowboys rookie, Marist Liufau, a promising third round pick out of Notre Dame.

While the additions of Liufau and Kendricks free Clark to move back to his natural position of WILL, another player may ultimately block his opportunities. Coming back from an ACL injury is second-year player DeMarvion Overshown.

Overshown dropped jaws prior to his injury and is penciled in as the favorite to land the starting spot at WILL. Clark could certainly compete with Overshown, and snaps could be split between them in some way, but it’s unlikely Clark can steal a majority portion from Overshown.

It leaves Clark in an uncomfortable position. He can compete for a role alongside Overshown at WILL, or he can turn his attention to a different linebacker position without much competition. Strong side linebacker (SAM) could be that opportunity Clark is looking for.

Zimmer’s defense, like all NFL defenses, leans more on nickel looks which feature a third cornerback, than standard base looks that feature a third LB. Since NFL offenses typically employ heavy 11 personnel (three receiver sets) it’s the obvious rebuttal for a defense. This means the odd man out in nickel situations is often the SAM.

But just because the third LB role is part time, doesn’t mean it’s unimportant. The SAM is an important position because it adds size and run-stopping ability to the defensive unit on critical downs. Given their lack of LB depth last season, the Cowboys were unable to make this personnel shift in 2023. In Zimmer’s newly restocked pond, that shouldn’t be an issue in 2024.

A handful of the Cowboys’ fiercest opponents in the NFC are dominant running teams. Having a defense that match with those run-heavy packages is critical to Dallas’ survival. Clark would allow them to do that.

Clark’s best position is likely at WILL but with the bulk of those snaps expected to be going to Overshown, Clark may find his best opportunity comes at SAM. It would mark the third different position in as many years, but it would allow the Cowboys to get their best three LBs on the field at the same time, which always seems to be a goal of the front office.

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Cowboys reassign jersey numbers for 4 veterans, including new No. 1

Four veterans with new jersey numbers, including an ode to college. | From @KDDrummondNFL

In the midst of grabbing a slew of amateur talent, the Dallas Cowboys are still making other moves. The equipment department is busy preparing lockers for the team’s newest additions through the 2024 NFL draft, but they still have to make time to get some jerseys redone.

According to Patrik Walker of the team’s website, Dallas has officially redistributed jersey numbers to four different players.

Jayron Kearse has yet to sign with a new team in free agency, but the club has given his jersey number away. Now donning No. 1 will be third-year wideout Jalen Tolbert. Second-year linebacker DeMarvion Overshown will take over No. 13.

Veteran flyer and reclamation project Martavis Bryant will wear No. 84 and third-year linebacker Damone Clark will sport No. 18.

The former LSU product returns to the number he wore his final season with the Tigers, which is reserved for the best of the best leaders of that college program.