Blogging The Boys
Every week, we gather to discuss the latest news about the Dallas Cowboys and seek our writer’s perspective on each headline. Welcome back to the roundtable. This week we have David Howman, Sean Martin, Tom Ryle, and Jess Haynie.
Mike: Williams changed everything up front from the first series. He consistently dented the pocket, forced the Geno Smith to reset the pocket constantly, and drew enough double-teams to free stunts and one-on-ones for everyone else. Against the run he played heavy-handed and finished right on the line so there were no cheap yards after contact.
As for Wilson, he brought order and calm to the middle of the field. With the green dot, the fronts were set, the checks got out on time, and the underneath spacing finally looked organized. His range and angles showed up on cutbacks and perimeter runs, and in coverage he was comfortable matching backs and tight ends. For both players this was an A-grade in their performance for their first game as a Cowboy.
Howman: Quinnen Williams gets an A+ easily. He was exactly as advertised, blowing up run plays and making an impact as a pass rusher. Logan Wilson looked good too, but didn’t see the field enough for me to really get a sense of his long-term impact.
Jess: An obvious high score for Williams, who looked as good as any DT we’ve seen since Jerry bought the team. The Raiders’ o-line is in shambles, though, so we need to see if he can keep it up against better opponents. Wilson didn’t make big plays, but you saw him closing on ball-carriers and stopping them before they could get first downs. I promise you that Kenneth Murray wouldn’t have been there as quickly, if at all, so the upgrade is already evident.
Tom: I heard Mickey Spagnola of the mothership talking about how Williams didn’t just generate sacks and pressures, he opened up things for the rest of the defensive front and helped shut down the run. But this week is a much bigger test. Wilson seems like an upgrade.
Sean: The Cowboys got 1-vs-1 matchups all night long for their defensive line against the Raiders offensive line, and it was a thing of beauty for winning the game at the point of attack. Williams was a huge part of this and made the “as advertised” plays himself with 1.5 sacks. As for a grade on Wilson, I’ll take the Cowboys waiving Damone Clark on Tuesday following the win as a sign they were pleased with the totality of their work at linebacker in this game, and Wilson was a rotational part of this, so he more than earns a passing grade as well.
