The Cowboys may be tinkering with the defensive setup, but the bigger boost could come from the injury report.
Dallas is already trying to shake things up by moving play-caller Christian Parker from the sideline to the booth and adding veteran Mike Pettine as a senior defensive assistant. That’s part of the push to stabilize a unit that has struggled, but the real test still comes down to who is actually available when the game starts.
Two names that matter for Sunday night in Green Bay got a welcome update on Thursday. Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown and cornerback Joey Porter Jr. both took steps forward in practice, according to ESPN NFL Nation’s Todd Archer.
Overshown, out since mid-September with a hamstring strain, was limited after sitting out Wednesday. That matters because he had not hit that level yet, making Thursday’s session an encouraging sign.
Porter was a full participant and could even avoid a snap count. The former Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback missed last Thursday’s home loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers because of a sudden illness.
It’s still a small sample, but Dallas has only had both players on the field once this season. Getting them back and keeping them there would give the defense a chance to look sharper, even if the issues run deeper than two injured players.
The Cowboys enter at 2-3 and are trying to fix a run defense that sits last in the league at 168.4 rushing yards allowed per game. They’re also allowing the 21st-most passing yards at 227.0 per game. If Overshown and Porter are both active against the Packers, they’ll be tasked with helping clean up those numbers.
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Cowboys Fans Have A Lot Riding On Week 6 Beyond Green Bay
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Around the conference, a handful of other games carry real weight for Dallas because they can shift both the wild card picture and the draft-pick math down the line. It is the kind of week where one result in another stadium can change how the Cowboys view their path over the next month, which is why so many eyes in the building will be on more than one scoreboard. [Read more 🡒]