An Inactive Player Drew the Day's Strangest Flag: Overshown Apologized, Schottenheimer Called It 'Totally Unacceptable,' and the Cowboys Watched All 14 Penalties
Dallas committed 14 penalties for 153 yards in a 27-23 win it nearly flagged away. The 15 yards that stung most came from a linebacker in street clothes — and Monday at The Star was spent making sure it cannot happen in 49ers week.
FRISCO — The strangest penalty of the Cowboys' Sunday came from a player who was not in the game. Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, inactive with back and hamstring injuries, ran onto the field to celebrate after Quinnen Williams forced a fumble by Jonathan Taylor and Shemar James recovered it, drawing a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that pushed Dallas back to its own 15-yard line; the Cowboys punted four plays later, according to Athlon Sports' report of head coach Brian Schottenheimer's Monday remarks, read in full by this desk. The referee identified Overshown by his blue sweats and stocking cap when announcing the penalty, the Dallas Sports Journal's Monday file reported.
Overshown apologized on his Instagram story on Sunday evening — "Was just tryna celebrate with the guys… my bad G" — as The Dallas Morning News reported and the Journal carried. Schottenheimer said on Monday that he dealt with it in order: "Addressed it one-on-one with D-Mo first, addressed it with the football team. Totally unacceptable, and it won't happen again," he said, according to both reports. He left Overshown's own reaction to the linebacker — "I'll let Demo speak to that. He understands that it's unacceptable and it can't happen" — and the Journal reported Overshown is expected to work back from the back and hamstring injuries this week, after being listed as questionable on Friday.
The flag was one of fourteen. Dallas was penalized 14 times for 153 yards in the 27-23 win at Indianapolis, and Schottenheimer had the team watch all 14 penalties together in Monday's meeting, calling the performance sloppy and not good enough, according to Yardbarker's report of the session, read this run. Executive vice president Stephen Jones called the Overshown penalty unacceptable and "not a good look" on 105.3 The Fan, the same report said. The cleanup comes in a short week: the 4-5 Cowboys host the 7-1 49ers on Sunday.
