A few weeks after the New York Jets shipped off Quinnen Williams, he finally made his debut for the Dallas Cowboys in Week 11.
It was worth the wait.
Williams delivered a career performance for America’s Team.
According to the official NFL Plus account, Williams finished with 1.5 sacks and a “career high” five quarterback hits.
Not only was that a career performance from Williams, but it was also something the Cowboys haven’t seen in at least seven years.
“In his Cowboys debut, Quinnen Williams forced 5 pressures in the first half, tied for the most in any half by a Cowboys defensive tackle since at least 2018. Williams and Osa Odighizuwa combined for 11 pressures on the night,” per Next Gen Stats.
Dallas beat the Las Vegas Raiders 33-16 on Monday Night Football to cap off Week 11. The Cowboys improved to 4-5-1 on the season to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Some Strong Takeaways From Williams Performance and What It All Means
Everyone in the world is obsessed with the black and white results. Who are the winners? Who are the losers? This or that. However, sometimes there is gray. In this case, perhaps the Jets didn’t just win and the Cowboys lost. What if, brace yourself, they both won the trade?
The green and white are clearly in rebuild mode. The task for the team is simple in principle but more difficult to execute: find the next franchise quarterback. Trading away Williams, a superstar, provided them with assets to try and accomplish that mission.
On the other side of the coin, the Cowboys are all in. They have paid their top stars big money: quarterback Dak Prescott ($60 million per year), wide receiver CeeDee Lamb ($34 million per year), and offensive lineman Tyler Smith ($24 million per year), to name a few.
The Cowboys are headed in the opposite direction. They are trying to win, and they have the talent to do it right now.
Just because Williams looked awesome in his debut doesn’t mean the Jets made the wrong choice. Just like if we fast-forward in time and the Jets’ picks work out, that doesn’t mean Dallas blew it either.
“Quinnen Williams with 1.5 sacks & 5 QB hits tonight. Good for him. Also .. good for Jets. Still can’t believe Darren Mougey got a 2 & 1,” NFL Insider Connor Hughes of SNY posted on social media.
Williams’ Flame Has Been Rekindled
Things weren’t going well for the Jets. As a team, they weren’t winning football games. Some of their best players weren’t playing up to par.
In eight games with the Jets this season, Williams had only one sack and three quarterback hits.
In just one game with the Cowboys, he finished with more sacks (1.5) and quarterback hits (five) than he had all of this year with the Jets.
Williams admitted during his introductory presser with the Cowboys that the losing in New York got to him. After being traded to Dallas, he was reinvigorated, and it was on full display on the football field.
For those suggesting that Williams, at 27 years of age, was washed, the demise of the former Alabama product was greatly exaggerated.
He was named a first-team All-Pro in 2022. Williams showed flashes of that same level of dominance on Monday, November 17.
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