The Dallas Cowboys have faced reality checks all week after taking a harsh 28-20 loss to the New York Giants in Week 1.
It’s been all about the defense and how much they struggled against the Giants. They gave up nearly 400 yards total, allowed New York to convert 9 of 11 third downs, and the Giants averaged 4.5 yards per run after picking up 165 yards on the ground.
Dallas has been looking at itself to see how it has done and what it can work on. No one might be a harsher critic than Cowboys defensive tackle Quinnen Williams.
Quinnen Williams Talks Performance in Dallas Cowboys Loss
When he spoke to the media on Wednesday, Williams was asked how he felt he played in the game. He was honest that he needed to do more after watching the tape.
“I think I did decent, but the player I am, I can do more. I can be more disruptive in the backfield, I can be more disruptive when it comes down to gap-and-a-half, making plays and different things like that. I’ll just watch the film, learn and grow from it.”
“Can’t nobody in this world hold me accountable more than I hold myself. Can’t nobody in this world critique me more than I critique myself. I expect to be dominant every single week. I expect to be a playmaker, a game-changer every single week. And I wasn’t that. I got to do better.”
Williams finished the game with 3 tackles and 1 quarterback hit. Pro Football Focus may not 100% agree with his assessment, as they gave him an overall grade of 78 for Week 1. That ranks 11th out of 107 eligible interior defensive linemen.
Quinnen Williams is Looking for Him & Cowboys to Improve in Week 2
The soul-searching may be over for the Cowboys, as they look to move on. They watched the tape, understood the communication issues, and can now press forward and play well again.
One good thing is that the Cowboys can now play another NFC East team, the Washington Commanders. This is a great opportunity to bounce back against an opponent that suffered an emotionally tough two-point loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Washington couldn’t even produce over 300 yards of offense, as they struggled to move the ball against the Eagles. This bodes well for the Cowboys, who need to play an offense that is not meshing well.
Dallas has a chance to use this game to clean up all their mistakes. The big focus is making sure they communicate well on defense. This should help ensure they make the stops they need.
It still won’t be an easy game since it is a divisional opponent. Still, the Cowboys have a chance to regain momentum by simply picking up a win against a struggling football team.
Quinnen Williams Gave Blunt Self-Assessment After Cowboys Week 1 Loss