With DeMarvion Overshown facing a potential spell on the sidelines due to a hamstring injury, Dallas Cowboys fans can expect to see a lot more of third-round pick Jaishawn Barham.
The rookie linebacker out of Michigan saw the field plenty in his NFL debut on Sunday, playing 34 of a possible 69 defensive snaps, good for third behind Overshown (51) and Dee Winters (40).
While Jaxson Dart baited Barham into a neutral zone infraction in the first half, he still finished as the team's fourth-highest-graded defender with a 75.9 mark, per Pro Football Focus. He was a bright spot in an otherwise dismal showing from Christian Parker's defense.
Unfortunately, the replay of Devin Singletary's receiving touchdown that put the Giants up 28-14 halfway through the fourth quarter shows Barham seemingly giving up on the play despite having a path to potentially keep Singletary out of the end zone.
You can watch the play behind this link (h/t @Massey on X). It's clear as day that Barham could have smothered Singletary had he not pulled up in his pursuit.
Cowboys LB Jaishawn Barham's fourth-quarter effort was inexcusable
That is just an indefensible effort from Barham.
Mind you, the Giants faced a 3rd-and-5 and had just completed three straight wide-open passes out in the flat. One would think that the defense would take that personally.
Instead, Barham was slow to react and showed little urgency in getting to the football. After watching New York exploit the same weakness on consecutive plays, that should have been an all-hands-on-deck moment to prevent it from happening a third time.
Or, you know, keeping the Giants out of the end zone in a one-score game in the fourth quarter. That should have been plenty of motivation.
It doesn't compute that a guy like Barham, who plays with his hair on fire, could essentially quit on such an important play.
His motor and physicality are two of the biggest reasons Dallas was drawn to him in the first place. You can live with a rookie taking a bad angle or being a tick slow to diagnose a play. What you can't excuse is a lack of effort, especially with the game hanging in the balance.
Jaishawn Barham did himself zero favors in Cowboys debut
Consider Barham in Cowboys fans' doghouse until further notice.
He can start working his way out with improved effort this Sunday against the Commanders, but positive contributions notwithstanding, this was hardly the debut folks envisioned after he spent all summer blowing up run plays and creating havoc at the line of scrimmage.
A lack of effort trumps whatever flashes Barham showed, especially when it surfaces with Dallas well within striking distance. That's what is so maddening. The right time to give lackadaisical effort is never. But you could at least rationalize it in your mind if Dallas was down four touchdowns.
We've all seen Barham's closing speed. At the very least, a full-speed Barham would have forced Singletary to work for the pylon. He may not have prevented the first down, but keeping the Giants' RB out of the end zone was absolutely in play.
Again, it's hardly a guarantee that Overshown plays in Week 2. The Cowboys are going to need Barham to play even more snaps than he did on Sunday.
But they may as well give Shemar James and Justin Barron his snaps if he's going to give this kind of effort.
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