The Dallas Cowboys desperately need their defensive players to step up. While not everything is lost at 3-5-1, their hopes of making the playoffs will slip right through their fingers if they can't get a couple of stops.
That was the case again in the 27-17 home loss to the slumping Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football. Dallas failed to contain an offense led by perennial backup Jacoby Brissett and lost at home to a team that was riding a five-game losing streak.
Nevertheless, Sam Williams' strong play was perhaps the lone bright spot for Matt Eberflus' unit. It took him nine weeks, but he may have finally shown just enough to get the benefit of the doubt for a little longer.
Sam Williams Finally Shines for the Cowboys
Williams was on the field for 24 snaps in the loss to the Cardinals, and it didn't take long for him to make an impact as his blocked punt led to a Marshawn Kneeland touchdown. That score put the Cowboys on the board after being shut down for the first 26 minutes of the game.
He was also a factor against the run, and while the Cardinals still put up 119 rushing yards, the bulk of that came in the second half when they were trying to run out the clock. It was a much-needed bounce-back performance from a player who had posted a 39.3 Pro Football Focus grade on the season, the second-worst among eligible pass-rushers.
Williams looked like a no-brainer candidate to get a contract extension at the beginning of the season. He had shown glimpses of great play in his first two seasons in the league, but that complex knee injury that cost him the entire 2024 season really took a toll on his explosiveness and ability to turn the corner to get to the quarterback.
Despite logging the second-most snaps among Cowboys pass-rushers (285), he has only managed to get 16 tackles (13 solo), 15 pressures, three QB hits, three tackles for loss, and 1.0 sacks. He wasn't expected to be Micah Parsons, but his production, or lack thereof, has still been pretty disappointing.
Even so, there's still plenty of football to be played this season, and Monday night's strong performance might be just enough for the Cowboys to keep him around for a little longer and give him more opportunities. At the end of the day, they don't have many other options anyway.