When Brian Schottenheimer prepared to visit the MetLife, he knew it was going to be a test for their defense. “We’ve got to be really good with our pass rush and integrity and keep them in the pocket, but the team speed on defense does help us.”

But by the end of their regular season opener, that test turned into a 28-20 horror story. The Cowboys lost in a massive blowout. The defense failed. And if that wasn’t enough, the team’s injury problems continue. 

Last week, it was Tyler Smith, a veteran from the offensive line. But after the Giants game, it’s two defensive players.

“Brian Schottenheimer said Malik Hooker may have had a fractured forearm. ‘More testing tomorrow,’ he said,” reported Dallas News’ Calvin Watkins. “DeMarvion Overshown has a hamstring injury and he wasn’t ‘sure the severity.’”

The safety was injured late in the third quarter. He suffered a forearm injury after becoming tangled with Giants tight end Chris Manhertz. Hooker initially walked off the field under his own power but was taken to the locker room in the fourth quarter and subsequently ruled out.

As for Overshown, he exited the game with a hamstring injury and was questionable to return. Before the injury, the Green Dot leader had already racked up seven tackles. 

What makes these hits particularly troubling is the damage it has done to the side as well as both players.

Hookier, a former first-round NFL pick, has been with the Dallas Cowboys since 2021. This season, Hooker fought to keep his roster spot after Dallas drafted Caleb Downs. The injury threatens to derail Hooker’s comeback bid this season. 

As the 30-year-old veteran of the Cowboys’ defensive backs group, Hooker has been counted on to handle pressure while helping guide the team’s younger players. The former Unanimous All-American brings plenty of experience to the group.

In 2024, Hooker put together his best season with the Cowboys, setting career highs in tackles with 81 while adding five pass deflections and two interceptions. Next year, a Week 4 toe injury sidelined him until Week 11, but he remained productive upon return. He remained productive after returning. Even though durability issues persisted, Hooker made it to the 53-man roster. And the team felt his loss immediately.

When Hooker left the field, the Cowboys were down 28-14, and the Giants had already totaled 357 offensive yards early in the fourth quarter. Dallas fought back, but New York eventually secured a 28-20 win.

After allowing 511 points last season (last in scoring defense), Dallas’ defense is already under pressure. It ranked last in scoring defense (30.1 PPG), passing defense (251.5 YPG), and third-down defense (47.3%).

On the other side, for Overshown, this injury becomes the latest setback. Back in 2024, when Overshown had led the team in tackles, he battled a ACL, MCL, and PCL injury that ended his season early. A hamstring issue was the last thing he wanted to deal with this season. 

“For us to be the great defense that we need to be, I am going to have to be the great leader that I need to be,” Overshown opened up about his promise in an interview with DLLS Sports in June after taking up the middle linebacker role. “So, him giving me that role, and giving me that badge, I take that with heart. Because I want to be that, I want people to look at me in the fourth quarter and say, ‘This guy is still going hard, let me give what I got left, let me give what I got left.’”

The bigger issue for Dallas will be defensive depth. Although they have a few names to cover Hooker at safety, the inside linebacker spot will need some rotation. Perhaps that could be the move that solves Dallas’ defensive issues. 

Dallas failed to stop the Giants’ offense even with both defensive starters on the field for most of Sunday night. New York gained 394 total yards, including 165 rushing yards, while averaging 4.5 yards per carry. 

NFL Review Could Lead to Fine for DeMarvion Overshown

Being named as the Green Dot leader comes with a lot of responsibility and accountability. However, Overshown got into a scuffle with Jaxson Dart when he hit the Giants quarterback out of bounds. Overshown was flagged on the play, resulting in a 15-yard penalty, and he could now be facing potential discipline from the league.

New York had the ball at its own 41-yard line with 9:38 remaining in the first quarter when Dart faced second-and-10 after an incompletion. With no receiver open following the snap, he scrambled to his left for 22 yards, easily moving the chains.

The play ended with Dart going out of bounds, but Overshown then delivered a hard hit that sent the quarterback toward the bench. The Cowboys linebacker was penalized for unnecessary roughness, giving the Giants 15 more yards.

Now that the game is over, it’s time for the league to evaluate the tapes as part of the post-game process. And if they find Overshown guilty of an outrageous act, they will hold him accountable. Given the fine structure, he can very well be fined as high as $11,941 for a first offense.

Not a good day for Dallas.