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5 points: Things to be thankful for in the 2024 Cowboys season

November 27, 2024
NFL: NOV 24 Cowboys at Commanders
Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Are there any Dallas Cowboys things you are thankful for right now?

This part of the calendar during the holiday season is all about giving thanks and appreciating what we have in life. The 2024 Dallas Cowboys might not break the top ten of any list of things people have been thankful for this year, but there are a few things to highlight.

Winning against a divisional opponent in a near-impossible situation is something to be thankful for. The Cowboys shocked the football community, defeating the Washington Commanders 34-26. Dallas played horribly for a month and a half, losing five in a row. Sunday’s win for Dallas may knock them out of a top-five selection in the 2025 draft, but the players, and some fans, are happy to return to winning football.

Here are five things to be thankful for about the Cowboys this season.

First Point: Thankful for DeMarvion Overshown’s development

DeMarvion Overshown has found his place in the Cowboys' defense. The combination of him and Micah Parsons provides juice to the defense that could be lethal if deployed properly down the stretch of this season into next year.

Overshown generated a career-high five pressures and one sack on 13 pass rushes (38.5%) against the Commanders, per NFL Pro. That was his fifth-straight and seventh overall game this season with multiple pressures, the most among all off-ball linebackers this year. Overshown also has 21 total pressures generated this season, which is tied with Kaden Ellis for the most among all off-ball linebackers.

Fans were introduced to his closing speed in Week 1 after his sack of Deshaun Watson, and the second-year linebacker never looked back. If he can improve his wrap-up tackling when players are in space a bit more, then the Cowboys might have another star player to pair with Parsons for a long time.

Second Point: Thankful that Mike Zimmer’s defense is taking shape

With Dan Quinn coaching opposite the Cowboys on Sunday, a big storyline for the broadcast was how much improved the Commanders' defense was and how Dallas’ defense fell off a cliff after Quinn left this offseason. On Sunday, the Cowboys showed they could be as great without Quinn if everything comes together.

Mike Zimmer’s defense forced three turnovers, which was just the second time all season Dallas forced more than two turnovers in a game (Week 1 and Week 10). It should not be a coincidence that Sunday’s outing was the second time all year that Dallas scored more than 30 points in a game (Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns).

Parsons being back in the lineup makes things so much easier for everyone on defense, even if he’s not getting sacks and just getting to the quarterback. Zimmer had Parsons rushing from the defensive tackle position, which put more stress on the interior of the opposing offensive line and gave Parsons a quicker line to the passer.

Dallas's “secret recipe” for a Thanksgiving victory is not a secret. Creating more turnovers creates more opportunities to score, leading to more wins.

Third Point: Thankful for KaVontae Turpin’s speed (and spin move)

When Brandin Cooks left the lineup after Week 4, fans wanted Mike McCarthy to involve KaVontae Turpin in the offensive game plan more. His flashes on that side of the ball have been explosive, like his 64-yard touchdown against the Houston Texans, and warrant more touches.

In back-to-back weeks, Turpin has been able to showcase how dangerous his speed can be, which might have made McCarthy rethink his playbook before Thursday. After the Commanders closed the gap on the Cowboys' lead to just three points late in the fourth quarter, the Pro Bowl kick-returner gave them a much-needed score with a 99-yard kick return touchdown.

With that return touchdown, Turpin has three of the Top 20 fastest ball carrier speeds of the season, according to Next Gen Stats. That type of speed is undeniable. McCarthy needs to manufacture more touches for him on offense because, after Sunday’s performance, teams probably will not allow Turpin to return kicks anymore.

Fourth Point: Thankful for the front office’s ability to scout the UFL/UFSL

The Cowboys' ability to pull players from the football expansion leagues has been impressive for a few years. There have been a few misses, but it all started when the front office decided to take a chance on the USFL’s MVP, KaVontae Turpin, in 2022.

Turpin was named a Pro Bowl return specialist, and the team followed that up last offseason by signing Brandon Aubrey, a kicker from the USFL back-to-back champion Birmingham Stallions. Since then, Aubrey has been selected to the Pro Bowl, named a first-team All-Pro, and continues to break records. In his second NFL season, Aubrey is arguably the most dangerous kicker in the league.

Everyone was waiting to see what the front office had next with the pathway program they created, from expansion leagues to NFL success. In 2023, the Cowboys signed Josh Butler during training camp, who had previously played with the USFL Michigan Panthers. His development has taken some time to show, but after a few stints on the practice squad and injuries to the secondary, Butler showed on Sunday that there could be something here.

Butler had a team-high 12 tackles, had one sack, and forced three pass breakups. It's not a bad start for a player with his kind of backstory. Butler might not be Trevon Diggs, DaRon Bland, or Jourdan Lewis, but he may show enough this year to warrant a comeback tour next year as a member of the secondary depth.

Fifth Point: Thankful for the 2024 draft class getting meaningful snaps

With Ryan Flournoy starting at wide receiver in Week 11 against the Houston Texans, all active rookies from the Cowboys draft class have started at least one game this season (Nathan Thomas is on IR, and Justin Rogers did not make the team). Usually, when rookies play this much, it could mean the team is bad or badly injured. The Cowboys have found themselves in both buckets.

However, the team is starting to see the fruits of their class being thrown into the fire early. Tyler Guyton and Cooper Beebe did not allow a single pressure on Sunday, per Pro Football Focus. Marist Liufau has gotten better at diagnosing offenses, and Marshawn Kneeland was inserted back into the lineup, providing depth for a battered defensive front.

In a perfect world, there would be more flashes from the entire draft class. That is what every front office hopes for from their young players. However, there have been enough positive moments to build confidence moving forward. These meaningful snaps will benefit their long-term development, mainly if the team will be limited in free agency trying to sign Micah Parsons to a long-term extension.


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