Considering the hype around the game, and the general consensus that it would be the Packers in a walk, the fact that the Cowboys came out of last Sunday’s showdown against Green Bay with a tie should be viewed as a victory. Of course, watching how the team coughed up a late overtime lead tempers that enthusiasm.
Still, 1-2-1 heading into a very winnable Week 5 game in New York against the winless Jets should have the Cowboys‘ spirits somewhat lifted. Except one key Cowboys player on Saturday got some news that turned Sunday’s game from bad into worse.
That would be Sam Williams, the fourth-year pass rusher who not only lost his starting job on Sunday against the Packers, but also was hit with a fine of $11,002 for an unnecessary roughness facemask penalty in the third quarter. The fine was announced Saturday evening by the league.
Sam Williams Demoted
Williams started the first three games of the season at pass-rusher, but failed to make much of an impression, and when the team signed veteran Jadeveon Clowney in late September, Williams was moved to the bench.
Williams had eight tackles and only two quarterback hits in three games before he was bumped from the starting group. He currently has a Pro Football Focus grade of 43.0, which ranks No. 101 out of 107 edge rushers in the NFL.
Williams, according to the league, was one of 20 players taking fines in Week 4.
Cowboys Hoped for a Bigger Impact
There was hope for Williams this summer after he suffered a torn ACL and MCL in training camp last July and missed all of 2024. When the Cowboys traded away Micah Parsons in late August, the Cowboys were betting that Williams could help replace him.
“Sam is not fragile in terms of mental,” Jones said. “But, as Michael Irvin said, when he had an injury, what flashed before him [were] the prospects of not playing again, Michael said it made his career, to appreciate what he might miss. I think Sam has had that same realization, and so he’s come back and had an outstanding training camp.”
He was, indeed, good in camp. But Williams has not brought that onto the field, at least not yet. Williams is still in the pass-rush rotation, but he played a season-low 29 snaps in Week 4, and that could continue to drop as Clowney gets acclimated.
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