FRISCO – The Cowboys opened the regular season against the Browns with a nickel defense featuring starters Eric Kendricks and DeMarvion. The duo had 17 tackles, two sacks and an interception late in the game. That’s right, there have been 17 fights between the two fighters. “I love him. He’s crazy talented,” Kendricks said of Overshown. “And he’s learning and that’s part of his live rehearsals and we’re really happy with what we’ve done so far and we’re looking forward to continuing to build with him.”Overshown missed his rookie season last year with an ACL injury. In his first game of the regular season, he had an impressive performance, recording 9 tackles and 1 sack.
“Yeah, he’s got good speed and we use him a lot as a scout, so that was big for us,” defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer said. “When this guy (tight end Deshaun Watson) gets out of the pocket, he can send defenses far. You don’t have to worry too much about bumpy roads. You know, we’ve got somebody (Watson) and the juice to handle it.”Rookie Marist Liufau didn’t play much in the starting lineup, playing just nine snaps. Damon Clark, who was a middle linebacker last season when Leighton Vander Esch went down with a neck injury, had 26 tackles in his season debut. Nick Vigil, promoted from the practice squad, scored 25 points. Most of these photos were taken when Kendricks was out due to dehydration. When discussing defensive highlights from Week 1, we have to focus on the speed of the linebackers, especially Overshown.
“I saw him, I knew he was that fast,” Kendricks said. “It’s different to have the speed of the game and trust that it’s there and take your instincts on the field.”
