‘Sky’s the Limit’ for DeMarvion Overshown – His Pick Six Was Exactly What the Cowboys Needed
ARLINGTON, Texas – Something seemed wrong. DeMarvion Overshown blew and the running back picked him up. But after the two collided, the back let the Dallas Cowboys linebacker go.
And then Overshown changed the game.
The second-year linebacker raised his right arm, grabbed the short pass intended for the running back and retrieved it near the New York Giants’ 25-yard line. Overshown then ended the run, keeping the ball in the air near the 5-yard line as he ran into the end zone.
The play helped the Cowboys take a 13-7 lead early in the second quarter, and they never looked back, defeating the Giants 27-20 on Thursday at AT&T Stadium.
“I kind of just thought, ‘Just blow the piece up,’” Overshown said. “It was a blitz with my number on it. I just knew I had to make an impact play or at least cause some sort of confusion. When the running back let me go, I thought, ‘There’s some BS going on.’ And then the quarterback threw the ball and I thought, ‘This is my play to make.’
The quarterback was Drew Lock, who played in place of an injured Tommy DeVito. The running back was Devin Singletary. During the Fox game broadcast, Tom Brady pointed out how the Giants called a “low-risk play” on the screen, certainly not anticipating any potential turnovers.
“Lock isn’t even thinking about an interception,” Brady said. “You think I have an easy throw. But Overshowing with his length ultimately makes for a game-changing play.”
The AT&T Stadium crowd that has understandably booed the home team several times this season was about as loud as it has been all season when Overshown finished the run.
WHAT A PLAY OF OVERSHOWN.
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“I was able to kick some Nitrous in and then we danced in the end zone,” Overshown said. “As soon as I got the ball, I knew I had scored. So it was like, ‘What dance should I perform today?’
“It couldn’t have come at a better time. Thanksgiving, the world is watching.”
The start of Thursday’s game was similar to previous Cowboys home games this season. The offense was unimpressive and the defense struggled to shut down a Giants offense that managed just one meaningless late touchdown in a 30-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
But after the Overshown game, there was a momentum that was missing at home. Dallas entered the game having trailed significantly in the fourth quarter in its previous five home games, all decisive losses. It was an odd situation for a team that had a run of 16 home wins over the past two seasons. The Cowboys led 27-10 at the end of the third quarter.
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“This is our home,” Overshown said. ‘This is our castle. Teams should be afraid to play against us when they come here. Because we were on that losing streak, it wasn’t fun for us either. It’s good to keep this place rocking like it should be. Now we have to keep it up.”
The Cowboys have won two straight games and improved their record to 5-7. But they are far from realistic about the play-offs. Beating the Washington Commanders and Giants certainly doesn’t erase how this disappointing season started. Even usual glass-half-full team owner and general manager Jerry Jones wouldn’t discuss playoff possibilities after the game.
But Overshown’s play is a reason to be optimistic about the future. It also makes you wonder what could have happened last season, when his rookie year ended in the second preseason game in Dallas. Could a move like Thursday’s make a difference during the season or perhaps even the playoffs if he hadn’t suffered a torn ACL in his left knee?
“I told you guys from the beginning he was going to be a guy,” Cowboys All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons said. “Before the injury I said, ‘That’s going to be an All-Pro, Pro Bowl type player. Now, he’s not yet (No. 11), that’s Agent 0. He’s not trying to be like me; he is his own special specimen. He’s a wild cat in the field. Man, I love playing next to him.”
Overshown turned in flash plays early in the season, but he has been more consistent as this year has unfolded. Playing next to a veteran like Eric Kendricks has helped. The two made another important defensive play on Thursday.
On the opening sequence of the third quarter, Kendricks sacked Lock, taking the ball away. Overshow fixed. Dallas scored six plays later, making the score 20-10.
DeMarvion Overshown’s interception return for a TD was a gamechanger on Thursday. (Andrew Dieb/Imagn Images)
“D-Mo is a great player,” Kendricks said. ‘He’s one of the best I’ve ever seen. His attitude is just pure. He loves the game. I like to see it. And it motivates me because I’m in my 10th year. It motivates me to see a second-year kid like him, especially what he brings to the field.
“He’s getting better every game. He knows he has things to work on. He takes it seriously. The sky is the limit. I’m curious to see what he has in store. Expect more big games from him this year.”
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy had similar thoughts after the game, saying Overshown’s interception was one of Dallas’ highlights of the season. He also sees better days ahead for last year’s third round.
“I’m very grateful,” Overshown said. “Right before the game I said to myself, ‘This time last year I was waiting to show people my testimony. When I get back on the field, I’m going to show what God has really put in me: to go out there and inspire and play the way I do.” Just to be healthy on the field, that’s all I can ask for.”
(Photo: Andrew Dieb / Imagn images)
