DeMarvion Overshowns Snap Count Will Make Cowboys Fans Even Angrier at Mike Zimmer

Mike Zimmer’s shine faded in the Dallas Cowboys’ 25-point loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. Zimmer’s defense allowed touchdowns on six consecutive drives to start the game, leaving Dak Prescott and the offense no chance to keep the game exciting.

The Saints used a lot of pre-snap motion – on 74% of their plays, to be exact – and the Cowboys had no answer. Motion and play action are a staple of Shanahan’s coaching program and have been a headache for Dallas for years. After two games, New Orleans ranks first in the NFL in play-action rate.

Dan Quinn hasn’t found a solution in his three years as defensive coordinator. Sunday proved that Zimmer needs to start from scratch.

It’s fair to ask how much blame Zimmer deserves. Micah Parsons passionately defended Zimmer and took responsibility for the loss, saying the players needed to play better. That’s true, but Zimmer also has some atone to make.

A good start would be to let DeMarvion Overshown play more than he did yesterday. After playing 44 snaps against Cleveland, Overshown only played 18 snaps against the Saints.

Less than 20 snaps from arguably the Cowboys’ best player in the season opener is more than outrageous for Zimmer.

With the Saints playing more 12/21 personnel, Dallas was forced to play more base defense. For some reason, Overshown is not part of the first team’s base defense.

Eric Kendricks, not surprisingly, led the way with 56 snaps. Damone Clark, who struggled in the game, played the second most snaps of the linebackers with 41. Rookie Marist Liufau was third with 39 snaps. Liufau was arguably the only bright spot in the Cowboys’ defense.

There’s no reason Clark should play ahead of Overshown. Overshown, the team’s best tackler in Week 1, made a great tackle in the open field on 2nd-and-4 to force third down immediately after entering the game. The tackle was one of the few plays in the first half that had the home crowd roaring.

Make no mistake: The Cowboys wouldn’t have won the game if Overshown had played all the snaps. However, it was tough to watch the defense get hung up on the run game and crossover patterns while Overshown was on the sideline holding his helmet.

The Saints’ movements and plays were a headache all afternoon, but Overshown’s speed and athleticism could have made a difference, even if just a small one. The fact that he was demoted to a backup position after his Week 1 dominance is unforgivable to Zimmer.

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