The Pittsburgh Steelers faced off against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 5, hosting one of the top teams in the NFC during “Sunday Night Football.” Cris Collinsworth and Mike Tirico provided commentary for NBC Sports as they covered the Steelers’ 20-17 defeat.
During the broadcast, Collinsworth, regarded as one of the premier NFL analysts, made a contentious remark comparing Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt to Cowboys linebacker DeMarvion Overshown. He stated that Overshown played a role similar to that of Watt for the Cowboys, leading many fans to believe he was directly likening the second-year player to the Defensive Player of the Year.
Fans were quick to express their discontent with Collinsworth’s comments, voicing their reactions online and emphasizing that there was a significant skill gap between Watt and Overshown. One fan tweeted, “Cris Collinsworth just called Overshown the T.J. Watt of the Cowboys, he’s got 1 career sack.”
Another fan responded to Collinsworth’s comment, saying, “[Overshown] has become the TJ Watt of their defense. DON’T YOU EVER DISRESPECT MY KING AGAIN.” A different fan chimed in, stating, “Cris Collinsworth calling Overshown TJ Watt should get him fired immediately.”
Another remark read, “Cris Collinsworth just now: ‘DeMarvion Overshown is the TJ Watt of this Cowboys defense.'” One fan expressed disbelief, saying, “Cris Collinsworth just called DeMarvion Overshown the ‘TJ Watt of the Dallas Cowboys’ and I just cannot.” Another added, “Cris Collinsworth handing defense over to Overshown live on TV.”
The Cowboys selected Overshown with the No. 90 pick in the 2023 NFL draft after a five-season college career with the Texas Longhorns. While at Texas, Overshown tallied three interceptions, three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and 249 total tackles. After missing his rookie season due to a torn ACL, Overshown has shown potential this season, emerging as one of the most valuable players from the 2023 draft class.
In the game against the Steelers, Overshown recorded eight total tackles and one pass deflected. Throughout the 2024 season, he has notched one sack, two pass deflections, and 37 total tackles.
On the other hand, T.J. Watt has established himself as one of the top defensive players in the NFL over the past five years. Watt won the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award in 2021 after tying Michael Strahan’s single-season sack record with 22.5 sacks, along with five forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries that same season. He has achieved 13 or more sacks in five of the last eight seasons and is on track to surpass that again in 2024 with 4.5 sacks this season.
The former Wisconsin Badger has also recorded one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and one pass deflection in 2024. In the loss to the Cowboys, Watt became the second-fastest player in NFL history to reach 100 career sacks, trailing only Reggie White. He concluded the game with one forced fumble, 1.5 sacks, and eight total tackles.
