The Dallas Cowboys' offense showed a lot of fight in the first half against the Los Angeles Chargers before the game got away from them in the second half. They simply could not keep pace as Matt Eberflus' defense allowed 24 points on the Chargers' first four drives.
Taking into account that the offense didn't score a point in the second half, it was arguably Dallas' worst performance of the season. While Brian Schottenheimer has said he's focused on winning, the main objective has to be getting through the final two games without any serious injuries.
Sunday's loss was a harsh reminder of that, as the Cowboys lost DeMarvion Overshown to a concussion and Ryan Flournoy to a knee injury in the game. Both players were ruled out and did not return.
Cowboys lost DeMarvion Overshown and Ryan Flournoy to injuries in Week 16
Overshown and Flournoy are two players Cowboys fans were excited to evaluate after the team got eliminated from playoff contention. Now, the prudent decision might be to sit them for the rest of the season.
Cowboys team reporter Patrik Walker said on the Talkin' Cowboys Podcast on Monday that he is still waiting for an update on Flournoy's knee injury. However, he doesn't expect either player to suit up on Christmas Day against the Washington Commanders. As if that game wasn't already lacking juice.
Overshown has entered concussion protocol, so you can all but rule him out for Thursday. Assuming that it is the case, what sense would it make to play him in the finale against the Giants? The MetLife Stadium turf has claimed several more players this season. As ideal as it would be for Overshown to get more reps, the most important thing is having him fully healthy going into the offseason.
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The same can be said for Flournoy, who was run away with the WR3 job in the second half of the season.
The second-year pro caught his fourth touchdown of the year against the Chargers, and he had another called back due to an offensive holding penalty. The offense really struggled to finish off drives after Flournoy got hurt, which forced Jonathan Mingo and KaVontae Turpin to share WR3 duties.
Flournoy's become incredibly reliable and a player whom Schottenheimer should design plays for. This might be an unpopular opinion, but he should be higher than Jake Ferguson in the target pecking order. Even if George Pickens is back, Flournoy has absolutely cemented a starting role in the 2026 offense.
The good news is that the Cowboys know what they have in Overshown and Flournoy. It's not like their futures hinge on how they play in the final two games. The team can put them on ice knowing they'll play big roles next year, but it would still sting if their respective seasons are over.