Quinnen Williams reveals reason for complete turnaround of Dallas Cowboys defense

The Dallas Cowboys had one of the most dysfunctional defenses in the NFL from Week 1 to Week 9. But since the acquisition of Pro Bowl defensive lineman Quinnen Williams, their defensive unit has looked like one of the best.

Dallas shut down the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 11. They went down 21-0 in the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday but pitched a shutout the rest of the way in a 24-21 victory. So, what’s been the difference? Williams is a big part of it but not all of it, he said.

“I think everybody taking accountability and trying to do things that we can individually do to win football games,” Williams said, via Jon Machota of The Athletic. “You got guys like [DeMarvion Overshown] coming back. He’s playing great football. You got Logan Wilson here. And you got guys in the defensive line room, man, who just been balling and doing the things that they can do to win football games. And I think just we’re hitting our stride and it’s all coming together.

“Like I always say, man, one person can’t [turn it] around. I can’t go out there and do everything on my own. Nobody can. It’s a team sport and I just think we’re all putting our heads together and executing as one.”

Quinnen Williams has meant the world to Cowboys

Williams tallied 1.5 sacks in his Cowboys debut against the Raiders. He followed that up with a career-high eight pressures versus the Eagles.

Beyond Williams, linebacker Logan Wilson has been a welcome addition. The same can be said for fellow linebacker DeMarvion Overshown, who recently made his return from a torn ACL.

The result is a unit playing at a high level. Dallas has allowed just 90 rushing yards on 30 carries since acquiring Williams from the New York Jets. They finished Sunday’s game with eight consecutive stops on defense.

At 5-5-1, the Cowboys are still hanging on in the NFC playoff picture. With the offense continuing to hum, Dallas looks primed to go on a run.