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FRISCO, Texas — DeMarvion Overshown was a full participant in practice Thursday, four days after the Dallas Cowboys linebacker drew a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in Indianapolis without playing a snap. He was limited Wednesday with hamstring and back injuries, and Dallas has not issued a game designation for Sunday.
Overshown was inactive for Sunday’s 27-23 win over the Indianapolis Colts. With Dallas ahead 20-17 midway through the fourth quarter, defensive tackle Quinnen Williams knocked the ball away from Jonathan Taylor at the Dallas 18. Linebacker Shemar James recovered it and returned it 11 yards, and Overshown ran onto the field in street clothes to join the celebration.
The penalty moved the Cowboys’ next possession back from their own 30-yard line to the 15, DallasCowboys.com reported, and the drive ended in a three-and-out. Indianapolis tied the game on a 59-yard field goal with 5:56 left. Javonte Williams scored the winning touchdown on a 1-yard run with 1:08 remaining.
Overshown spoke with reporters Thursday at The Star.
“That’s what it was,” Overshown said. “It was all excitement. At the end of the day, I talked to Schotty about it. I apologized about it. Was definitely in the moment. But earlier I had said that as a defense, we’re gonna start celebrating more, getting takeaways, and I was just caught in the moment. So you can laugh at it now because we won the game, but in the moment, like fourth quarter, a tie ball game or close ball game, you don’t want a 15-yard penalty from a guy, especially that’s not even playing. So that’s a lesson learned.”
“It’s just a lesson learned,” Overshown continued. “It’s not gonna change how passionate I am about my teammates when they make plays. In the future, I have my helmet and my uniform on, so it won’t be a flag. But it’s a lesson learned.”
DeMarvion Overshown Did Not Know The Sideline Rule
Overshown has missed six of the Cowboys’ nine games this season because of the hamstring injury. The back issue was added to his injury listing before the Colts game, and Dallas ruled him out that week.
“Honestly, I really didn’t know the rule until like I heard D yelling,” Overshown explained. “I was running on the field and he was like, ‘D-Mo, you can’t be out here.’”
The teammate yelling was linebacker Dee Winters, Overshown said. He then looked back and saw the referee pointing at him.
“At that point, it was like, man, I’m just gonna take the butt chewing that I’m gonna get,” Overshown said. “But like, I learned it won’t happen again. And I apologize to the team, ’cause that definitely could have hurt us. But like I said, it won’t happen again.”
The referee’s announcement on the broadcast described what Overshown was wearing, including a blue stocking cap.
“It’s not a stocking cap. It wasn’t a blue stocking cap,” Overshown said. “We call it a toboggan where I’m from, but I don’t know about the blue stocking cap market. I don’t know if it went up after that game, but I was pretty viral for it.”
Dallas finished with 14 accepted penalties for 153 yards, and nine of them came against the offense.
“Like we already had 13, 14 penalties, and then getting that one from a guy that’s not even playing,” Overshown said. “It’s like, what are we doing? I wouldn’t say that’s part of an undisciplined team. That’s just me not being aware of what’s going on. That’s not an indictment on Schotty and all the team. It’s just me as a player not being aware of what’s going on. And like I say, I own it, and I moved on from it.”
Overshown said he apologized on the sideline right after the play. Before the game ended, he apologized to Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer, other defensive coaches, and his teammates, according to DallasCowboys.com.
“I didn’t know until I knew,” Overshown said. “So in the moment celebrating, like I said, it can’t happen again. It won’t happen again. And I’m gonna stay passionate about my teammates making plays.”
Dak Prescott On Overshown And The Cowboys’ Penalties
Dak Prescott held his weekly news conference Thursday at The Star, after Overshown said the penalty did not reflect an undisciplined team. In Indianapolis, Prescott had voiced his frustration on the Dallas sideline after the flag.
“I agree,” Prescott said. “I mean, obviously, in that play. I mean, yeah. I mean, guys excited. Guys just wanted to go celebrate with his guy, and I mean, I saw the video. I’ve really only seen it once, and right, he felt like he caught himself midway through. Like, what the hell am I doing out here? And so, you can’t put that on coaches.”
“O’s got to be accountable in that, and I’m pretty sure he has been, and probably to you guys,” Prescott continued. “And I know he was to me, and accepting. You just can’t do that. But we can’t have the many penalties we did in this past game on offense, defense, all the way across the board. We’ve got to clean it up. Simple as that.”
Dallas leads the NFL with 667 penalty yards this season, The Associated Press reported Monday. Prescott’s message on the sideline that day was aimed at the Cowboys’ discipline.
“It was just be more disciplined,” Prescott explained. “For me, I’m just mad. That was another penalty thrown, and it’s one of those. I’m never going to ask players to take away their energy or to compress their excitement or anything, or suppress their excitement or anything like that.”
“But plan to make those turnovers, have some celebrations, but act like we’ve been there before,” Prescott added. “And I think at that moment, what I said was heard.”
Prescott is in his 11th season as the Cowboys’ starting quarterback. Dallas has not won consecutive games this season.
“I was pissed,” Prescott said. “I spoke my mind, and I don’t think I’ve ever been short or shy to in a moment when it’s truly, truly bothered me. And yeah, that was just a big play, and didn’t turnover or excuse me, the turnover happened, and a flag comes out, and yeah, it’s just like we did some great stuff here. Like, let’s not minimize it.”
“And so, I’m not going to get into whose job, if I need to be the disciplinary, if others aren’t,” Prescott noted. “We’re grown men at the end of the day. Me personally, if you need somebody to tell you what you should and shouldn’t do, I don’t know if this is the business for you.”
Dallas releases its final injury report of the week Friday. The Cowboys (4-5) host the San Francisco 49ers (7-1) on Sunday at AT&T Stadium, with kickoff set for 3:25 p.m. CT on Fox.
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