Cowboys Breakout Star Disappears Amid Week 2 ‘Mess’

What a difference a week makes. After the top-notch performance by Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, the team’s third-round pick from 2023, in Dallas’ Week 1 win over the Browns, a showing that had Overshown collecting flowers from all corners of the NFL, something bizarre happened in Week 2. Overshown barely played.

After playing 44 snaps against Cleveland, Overshown played only 18 against the Saints, according to Pro Football Reference. Given Overshown’s speed and tackling ability, that seemed to be a noticeable absence for a team that struggled to contain Saints running back Alvin Kamara in New Orleans’ blowout win.

As Pro Football Focus’ Jon Macri posted on Twitter/X, the current state of the Cowboys linebacking crew, other than Eric Kendricks, is notably out of whack.

He wrote: “#FFIDP – Dallas Cowboys linebackers in Week 2:

“59 defensive snaps This was a mess… Eric Kendricks the only full-time LB. DeMarvion Overshown (3rd-highest graded LB last week) saw a significant snap decrease this week. We’ll avoid all non-Eric Kendricks DAL LBs for IDP until consistent usage emerges…”

Cowboys Star Hyped ‘All-Pro’ Capabilities

And that’s the strange thing here: Overshown, who missed all of last season with a torn ACL, did earn an impressive 88.6 grade from PFF last week, third among all linebackers, and was being hyped up all around the league after that showing.

NFL Network’s Peter Schrager said, “We have a new household name, the most impressive player was a guy named DeMarvion Overshown, he was everywhere. I’m watching the game, Tom Brady’s first call, he’s gonna talk about Dak, he’s gonna talk about—we talked about DeMarvion Overshown the first half, and this guy was unbelievable.”

Legendary former NFL coach Bill Belichick said, “Another thing they got this year was a free draft choice—Overshown had 11 tackles in (Week 1). He did not play last year because he tore his ACL, so he came back in his second year without playing a snap last year and led the team in tackles against the Browns. Great job by Dallas.”

One headline from SI.com after the Browns win read: “DeMarvion Overshown is a star in the making.”

Even Cowboys teammate Micah Parsons got involved in the hefty praise, saying of Overshown: “I was like, ‘Bro, you’re gonna have people who think you’re faster than me now.’ He’s so fast, he’s explosive. He’s one of the most exciting players I’ve seen. … I think he’s going to be an All-Pro player.”

DeMarvion Overshown: ‘Fit of the Year’

Now, to be fair, one week of limited playing time does not mean Overshown is doomed to mediocrity with the Cowboys, just as his stellar Week 1 showing does not mean he is on the doorstep of stardom. It is possible that Overshown was not feeling 100% because of his knee, and that in the blowout, the Cowboys decided to rest him.

And while we have to wonder about Overshown’s health and lack of playing time in Week 2, we can say for sure that he showed up at AT&T Stadium for the Week 2 outing in good form—he arrived in a  full-length leather jacket, a cowboy hat and cowboys boots.

As Dallas Texas TV noted on Twitter/X, “DeMarvion Overshown with the fit of the year.”