The Dallas Cowboys did everything they could to let the Pittsburgh Steelers win, but in the end, the Steelers got in their own way too many times. It was a grueling game that started with a weather delay and wasn’t over until the clock hit zero. It seems like the Cowboys were ready for that as linebacker DeMarvion Overshown explained what former Steelers linebacker and current Cowboy Buddy Johnson told him.
“Buddy [Johnson], he was here for a year, and he told me every game that they played in, it came down to the last play,” Overshown said after the game via the team’s YouTube channel. “Watching Pittsburgh all my life, knowing that Mike Tomlin was gonna have this team ready, being in Pittsburgh, they gonna play hard. Getting this win, on the road, last possession, it’s a game we can definitely build on.”
Johnson was with the Steelers in 2021, being drafted by them in the fourth round. He didn’t last long in Pittsburgh, but he’s still managed to bounce around the NFL since then. He didn’t have a huge impact in this game, but it sounds like he had a part in mentally preparing the Cowboys for this game.
The 2021 season did see the Steelers play in bunch of close games, which seems like their style at this point. They had 11 games decided by one score, including a tie. Johnson got the full experience with the Steelers in only one year.
Overshown was drafted by the Cowboys in the third round in 2023, and he’s developed into a good player. That was on display against the Steelers. He made several plays, including almost picking off Justin Fields to end the game. The Steelers’ offense was anemic the entire night, and it’s likely the Cowboys knew they just had to keep the game close to give their offense a chance to win it.
Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy also seemed aware that this game would come down to the wire, which just goes to show how well-prepared the Cowboys were. They were missing multiple key players, and they had more than a few ugly plays, but they were the better team. They continued to battle, and on their final drive, they dismantled the Steelers.
