Moving the overshown window: an important aspect of the Cowboys’ 27-20 win

The Overton Window is known as the changing spectrum of government policies deemed acceptable by the masses. What seemed crazy a year ago seems perfectly fine today. This is achieved through changing circumstances and/or desensitization of the public.

DeMarvion Overshown has produced his own switch window. When the Texas product was first drafted by the Cowboys in 2023, he was a player without a clear and obvious position. At 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, he played a hybrid safety-linebacker role in college and had plans to play something similar in the NFL.

After missing his rookie season due to a season-ending injury, Overshown was used primarily as a linebacker in 2024. But every day he sees more and more opportunities to show the special talents that other linebackers don’t possess. In the Cowboys’ 27-20 win over New York on Thanksgiving, Overshown successfully normalized an unusual role in Dallas’ defense.

As the best weapon not named “Micah Parsons,” Overshown is an elite weapon who charges through the middle, plays in the box, covers, and plays on the edge. He has become the player a defensive coordinator plans for. He has become a player that offensive coordinators target.

12 weeks ago, using Overshown as a regular pass rusher seemed like an absurd idea. A player designed for the secondary didn’t have much business playing on the line of scrimmage. But Mike Zimmer’s infamous double-A gap blitz gave him the perfect opportunity to showcase his skills. He’s done that and more this season, recording 17 pressures and five sacks prior to Week 13. He trails only Parsons in the sack department this season and added another pressure, interception and touchdown to the list on Thursday.

It’s no longer a crazy idea to use Overshown as a regular pass rusher, be it off the edge or in the middle. The overshown window has shifted so that the absurd has quietly become the expected.

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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: “Shifting the overshown window: a key consideration in the Cowboys’ 27-20 win.”