DeMarvion Overshown and 3 more Cowboys whose stock is rising after Thanksgiving win

The Dallas Cowboys finally got on a winning streak, taking down the New York Giants 27-20 on Thanksgiving. After a thrilling win in Washington just a few days ago, most wondered if Dallas could put two solid games together. They did just that while securing their first home win of the season.

The defense looks like it is finally starting to gel under Mike Zimmer despite the numerous injuries. They once again won the turnover battle 2-0. DeMarvion Overshown was a big part of their strong performance, but other teammates are seeing their stock rise after back-to-back divisional wins.

Demarvion Overshown's stock is rising after Cowboys win

Like Chauncey Golston's early interception last week, the defense got a huge spark early. With the Cowboys down 7-6 and the offense once again struggling to find their footing, Overshown produced one of the best defensive plays the NFL may see all year.

With Drew Lock looking to find his running back on a screen pass, Overshown tipped the ball into the air, stayed with it, picked it off and ran all the way back for a touchdown. It was the first defensive touchdown of the year for the team. Once Dallas took the lead there, they never looked back.

The play is a culmination of how well Overshown has been playing this year on a struggling defense. He also recovered a fumble on the Giants' opening drive of the second half, after which Dallas scored to go up by 10. After missing his rookie season with a torn ACL, the former Texas Longhorn has become arguably one of the biggest key pieces on this defense. He ranks second on the team in tackles and has been flying around on every play to say the least.

RELATED: Cowboys' DeMarvion Overshown called his shot on otherworldly pick-six

The Cowboys have a lot to address in the offseason when it comes to this team, especially on defense. Fortunately, Overshown has looked like a future Pro Bowler the whole season and someone to build this linebacking corps around. Micah Parsons might have been named the 'John Madden Thanksgiving' MVP. but Overshown deserved it just as much having been the man behind both turnovers the defense forced. His stock is at a career-high after his performance on Thanksgiving.

3 other Cowboys whose stock is rising after the win over the Giants

3. DT Mazi Smith

Mazi Smith quietly had one of his best games as a pro. Coincidentally he had a strong showing against these same Giants early in the season. According to All-22, Smith graded out as one of the best Cowboys defenders on the field Thursday. Statistically he finished the game with half a sack and a quarterback hit.

While the stats are not super daunting, what gets lost is how well Smith helped this defense defend the run. Yes the Giants had 116 rushing yards but most came from Drew Lock running as the only option. The Giants leading back was Tyrone Tracy Jr. who only had 32 yards. Smith's performance is encouraging coming off a solid outing he and the defense had against Washington's running game.

Players have started to say they are finally understanding Zimmer's defense and based on the past two games, Smith looks like someone who was lost early in the year but has started to figure things out. For a former first round pick a lot of people were already labeling as a bust, his performance on Thanksgiving was encouraging. His stock is slowly rising going into the team's mini bye week.

2. WR Brandin Cooks

One of the reasons some are already believing this team can get hot at the end of the year is injured players are finally starting to come back. The team got DaRon Bland back last week, who looks like he is picking up where he left off in 2023 and this week got Brandin Cooks back. Outside of CeeDee Lamb, Cooks is one of the team's best weapons at receiver. His return against the Giants immediately brought new life to the passing game.

Cooks had been injured since the first Giants game with an infection that required surgery. Without him, Dallas had virtually no other receiver who could take attention away from Lamb. The trade for Jonathan Mingo has not produced any results so far, still leaving Cooks as the second best option.

Cooks only caught three passes but all of them were critical. He caught his first pass since being injured late in the second quarter that gave his team a first down, but the drive ended in a punt. His 'welcome back' moment arrived after Overshown recovered the fumble on New York's third quarter opening drive.

The play might not have happened had Cooper Rush's fumble near the goal line stood. Shockingly, after the play was reviewed, the officials ruled his knee was down before the ball came out. Rush took advantage and found Cooks in the left corner of the endzone for the offense's first score of the day.

The touchdown gave Dallas a double-digit lead at 20-10 and gave them a sense of comfort similar to last week in Washington. While the touchdown did not seal the win, it was a score the offense needed to try to pull away from a reeling Giants team. That was not the end of Cooks' big day.

With the team leading 27-20 late after New York crept back into the game late, Mike McCarthy gambled on third down when he decided to throw the ball instead of running it to keep the clock moving. The gamble paid off when Rush found Cooks on an out route and he made a diving catch right at the marker to pick up the first down. Had that pass not been caught, the Giants would have had time to drive downfield after Dallas punted to them.

Three catches for 16 yards and a touchdown might not be a standout stat line, but Cooks deserves credit for making two key plays in the game. Needless to say, he looks fully recovered from his injury and capable of producing more big plays for this offense. His stock is rising after only one game back.

1. RB Rico Dowdle

Rico Dowdle did something on Thanksgiving that no other Cowboys running back has done all season or since last season. Dowdle became the first Dallas running back to rush for over 100 yards in a game this season and since Week 3 of last season when Tony Pollard eclipsed that mark. It only took 13 weeks but Dallas's running game finally looked legitimate on Thanksgiving.

After racking up 86 yards in Washington last week, Dowdle's stock was already on the rise, but he took it to another level against the Giants. He finished with 112 yards on 22 carries and a touchdown in the third quarter. Those numbers scream a full-time starter at running back.

After flip-flopping between Dowdle, Ezekiel Elliott and even bringing in Dalvin Cook, the Cowboys look like they have found their stater at running back for the rest of the season. Dowdle found holes all game behind an offensive line that was healthier but still missing two of it's starters. Eventually that number became three when Tyler Guyton came out due to a high ankle sprain, leaving Chuma Edoga to play the rest of the game after spending the whole season on injured reserve.

Despite the injuries on the offensive line, Dowdle had his best game as a pro. The Cowboys need to see if Dowdle is cut out to be a complimentary back if the team does in fact add a new one this offseason through the draft or free agecny. While most would say this team still needs to look at adding a new running back this offseason, Dowdle looks like he would be a contributor if they re-signed him. After becoming the team's first 100-yard rusher of 2024, his stock is definitely continuing to be on the rise.

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