The Dallas Cowboys eventually went on a winning streak, defeating the New York Giants 27-20 on Thanksgiving. Following a spectacular victory in Washington just a few days ago, many questioned whether Dallas could string together two strong games. They did so while claiming their first home victory of the season.

Despite the numerous injuries, Mike Zimmer’s defence appears to be finally coming together. They once again won the turnover fight, 2-0. DeMarvion Overshown was a key component of their successful performance, but other teammates are seeing their stock soar following back-to-back divisional victories.

Like Chauncey Golston’s early interception last week, the defence received a major boost early on. With the Cowboys behind 7-6 and the offence trying to find its footing, Overshown made one of the best defensive plays the NFL has seen this season. When Drew Lock attempted to find his running back on a screen pass, Overshown tipped the ball into the air, stayed with it, picked it off, and went all the way back for a touchdown. The club scored its first defensive touchdown of the season. Dallas gained the lead there and never looked back.

The play is a reflection of how brilliantly Overshown has performed this season on a faltering defence. He also recovered a fumble on the Giants’ first possession of the second half, following which Dallas scored to lead by ten. After missing his rookie season due to a ruptured ACL, the former Texas Longhorn has established himself as one of the defense’s most important players. He is the team’s second-leading tackler and has been flying about on every play.

The Cowboys have a lot of issues to fix in the offseason, particularly on defence. Fortunately, Overshown has looked like a future Pro Bowler throughout the season and someone to base this linebacking corps on. Micah Parsons may have been awarded the ‘John Madden Thanksgiving’ MVP, but Overshown was just as deserving after forcing both turnovers. His stock has reached a career high following his performance on Thanksgiving.

Mazi Smith quietly played one of his best games as a professional. Coincidentally, he had a terrific performance against the same Giants earlier in the season. According to All-22, Smith was one of the top Cowboys defenders on the field Thursday. He finished the game with half a sack and one QB hit.

While the numbers aren’t very impressive, what gets overlooked is how brilliantly Smith helped this defence defend the run. Yes, the Giants gained 116 rushing yards, but the majority came from Drew Lock running as the lone option. Tyrone Tracy Jr., the Giants’ leading back, finished with only 32 yards. Smith’s performance is encouraging, especially after he and the defence performed well against Washington’s running game.

Players have begun to claim they are now grasping Zimmer’s defence, and based on the last two games, Smith appears to be someone who was lost early in the season but has begun to figure things out. For a former first-round choice who many considered a flop, his performance on Thanksgiving was encouraging. His stock is gradually improving as the team prepares for its mini bye week.

One of the reasons some believe this team will be hot by the conclusion of the season is that injured players are finally starting to return. Last week, the club welcomed back DaRon Bland, who appears to be taking up where he left off in 2023, and Brandin Cooks returned this week. Outside

Cooks had been out since the Giants’ opening game with an infection that necessitated surgery. Without him, Dallas had almost no other receivers who could divert attention away from Lamb. The trade for Jonathan Mingo has yielded little results thus far, leaving Cooks as the second best alternative. Cooks only caught three passes, but each of them was significant. He caught his first pass since getting injured late in the second quarter, allowing his side to get a first down, but the drive ended with a punt. His ‘welcome back’ moment came when Overshown recovered a fumble on New York’s third-quarter opening drive.

The play might not have occurred if Cooper Rush’s fumble near the goal line had been allowed to stand. Surprisingly, once the play was reviewed, the officials determined that his knee was down before the ball came out. Rush took advantage by finding Cooks in the left corner of the endzone for the offense’s first touchdown of the day.

The score gave Dallas a double-digit lead (20-10) and provided them with a sense of comfort akin to last week in Washington. While the touchdown did not cement the victory, it provided the offence with the necessary boost to draw away from a reeling Giants squad. That was hardly the end of Cooks’ busy day. With the team leading 27-20 late after New York had gotten back into the game, Mike McCarthy gambled on third down by throwing the ball instead of running it to keep the clock running. The bet paid off when Rush found Cooks on an out route, and he made a diving catch right at the marker for the first down. Had that pass, 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.

Rico Dowdle did something on Thanksgiving that no other Cowboys running back has done this season or since the previous season. Dowdle became the first Dallas running back to rush for more than 100 yards in a game this season, and the first since Tony Pollard did so in Week 3 last season. It only took 13 weeks, but Dallas’ running offence appeared legitimate on Thanksgiving. Dowdle’s reputation was already rising after he gained 86 yards in Washington the previous week, but he took it to the next level against the Giants. He ended with 112 yards on 22 carries and one touchdown in the third quarter. These metrics point to a full-time starter at running back.

After switching between Dowdle, Ezekiel Elliott, and even bringing in Dalvin Cook, the Cowboys look to have identified their running back for the rest of the season. Dowdle found holes throughout the game behind a healthier offensive line that still lacked two starters. Tyler Guyton was forced to exit the game due to a significant ankle sprain, leaving Chuma Edoga to play the rest of the game after spending the entire season on injured reserve. Despite the offensive line injuries, Dowdle had his best game as a pro. If the Cowboys do sign a new running back this offseason, they must first evaluate whether Dowdle is cut out to be a complementary back.