The Dallas Cowboys defense didn't deploy linebacker Jack Sanborn at all during a 44-22 win over the Washington Commanders on Sunday from Jerry World.
In fact, Sanborn looks to exclusively be a special teams player now.
In Sanborn's spot is Kenneth Murray, a fellow first-year Cowboy. Murray, a former first-round pick for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2020, will have the direct line of communication to Dallas's defensive coordinator, Matt Eberflus.
Jack Sanborn Wasn't a Good Fit for Cowboys vs Modern NFL Offenses
Cowboys fans couldn't be happier after Sanborn couldn't handle opposing up-temp offenses. A linebacker-centric defensive scheme with someone whose only strength is the run is a recipe for disaster. Especially when the run defense is ranked in the bottom-five across the NFL.
Although to be fair to Sanborn, he's far from the only problem in that department. Among linebackers, three of the worst six league-wide are Cowboys entering play on Sunday (h/t AtoZSports' Mauricio Rodriguez).
Murray was No. 2, Marist Liufau was No. 4, and Shemar James was No. 6. Sanborn came in at No. 8.
That's a problem that Cowboys fans are hoping is about to be solved thanks to some very good news on hte injury front.
DeMarvion Overshown's 21-Day Practice Window Now Open
The best news Dallas got was that DeMarvion Overshown's 21-day practice window was opened up on Monday. Overshown tore his ACL, MCL, and PCL last season, but is remarkably gearing up for a return already.
Overshown showed great promise as a third-round pick in 13 appearances, 12 of them starts. His five sacks and 1 interception showed elite athleticism all over the field, which hopefully won't be slowed down by his knee injuries.
If everything broke right for the Cowboys, it'll be Overshown taking every planned snap in the middle that Sanborn could ever get. The hope is this will be the needle-mover that the front seven needs, and it places Dallas at a crossroads.
Cowboys Must Restore Defensive Identity That Has Been Missing Since Dan Quinn
Perhaps now the team can move in the direction of holding an opponent under 20 points for the first time this season. Any shakeup is helpful in an NFC East that's weaker than expected, especially when the NFC North is set to cannibalize itself and leave an opening for a team like Dallas.
Eberflus's group has been porous to say the least, sporting a bottom-tier ranking in practically every category. It's shown glimmers of progress, but hasn't performed much better than the one-and-done Mike Zimmer's.
This team continues to yearn for Dan Quinn, who coincidentally just got his and Joe Whitt Jr.'s group lit up by Dak Prescott and Co.
If no play-caller is worth yearning for, at least the few who were around in 2023 should aim to restore that level of pride, minus the effort in the NFC Wild Card Round against the Green Bay Packers.