Cowboys are making a mistake with one of their most talented players that is becoming utterly inexcusable
There’s no denying Dallas Cowboys LB DeMarvion Overshown is very talented. But he’s being wasted in a specific area the team struggles with.
In the next four weeks, the Dallas Cowboys will do their best to win out and finish the 2025 NFL season on a good note—playoff berth or not. One of the individuals who will be under the microscope during that stretch is defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, who will likely be considered on the hot seat going into 2026.
I wrote about the biggest reason why in a previous post being his seeming unwillingness to adapt to his players’ strengths. It’s become clear Eberflus has a style of defense he likes to coach. But it doesn’t fit what the Cowboys have on the roster.
And one of the biggest examples of this happens to surround both one of their best players and one of the biggest issues on the team: LB DeMarvion Overshown and quarterback pressure.
Eberflus needs to start blitzing with LB DeMarvion Overshown
Since he returned from injury, you have probably wondered why Overshown hasn’t stood out as much as he did in 2024. That isn’t to say he’s playing bad football, but last year he was putting on All-Pro-caliber film. And while one of the biggest reasons probably has to do with overall rust from coming off a knee injury and missing the entire offseason plus a large portion of the season, there’s also one that is all about usage.
Eberflus isn’t tapping into Overshown’s speed and athleticism in the pass rushing department. In 2024, Mike Zimmer used Overshown to rush the passer an average of 5.7 snaps per game. He had seven games with a minimum seven pass rushing snaps, per PFF. In 13 games, Overshown rushed the passer 74 times for 20 pressures and five sacks.
In 2025, Overshown has rushed the passer five times in four games, for an average of 1.25 pass rush snaps per game.
Eberflus paid the price for not blitzing the Lions
Now granted, Zimmer loved to involve his linebackers in the pass rush department. It’s why he’s known for his double A-gap looks. Eberflus isn’t like that. But given the lack of consistency rushing the passer, his Cowboys would likely benefit from using Overshown’s best tools in getting after the QB.
On Thursday’s loss to the Detroit Lions, the Cowboys blitzed early on and pressured Goff. However, Eberflus quickly moved away from it and paid the consequences. When not blitzed, the Lions quarterback completed 76% of his passes for 209 yards and a touchdown, yielding a 113.6 passer rating.
For most of the season, one of the biggest worries about Eberflus has been the fact that he seems to not play to his players’ strengths. Let’s see if that changes in the final stretch of the season. Overshown’s usage will be worth monitoring.
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