After Dallas rallied to upend the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21 on Sunday, team owner Jerry Jones said defensive tackle Quinnen Williams had been “incremental” to the Cowboys’ midseason momentum.
Given the size of Williams’ contributions in two games since joining Dallas in a trade with the New York Jets and Jones’ excitement after the win over an NFC East rival, the team owner likely meant a bigger compliment.
“We had to have something at this level of excellence on run-stopping that he brought to the table,” Jones said. “Had to have that. And we didn’t need to give up pass rush to get it.”
On Nov. 4, the Cowboys sent a second-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, a first-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft and defensive tackle Mazi Smith to the Jets for the former Alabama All-American.
At the time, Dallas had a 3-5-1 record and was yielding an average of 143 rushing yards per game. Through nine games this season, the only NFC team that gave up more rushing yards than the Cowboys was the New York Giants, the only team that heads into Week 13 of the NFL season eliminated from postseason contention.
In defeating the Eagles and Las Vegas Raiders since Williams joined the team, Dallas yielded 100 rushing yards.
Williams doesn’t take credit for the Cowboys’ turnaround. The former Wenonah High School standout pointed out he wasn’t the only change on the Dallas defense in the past two games. The Cowboys acquired linebacker Logan Wilson from the Cincinnati Bengals on the same day they got Williams, and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown returned from a knee injury to play in his first two games this season.
“You got guys like Overshown coming back,” Williams said. “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 change nothing around. I can’t go out there and do everything on my own. Nobody can. This a team sport, and I just think we all putting our heads together and executing as one. …
“I think the biggest thing for me, man, I just put my head down and try to win every single rep, every single rush to be able to be the best person and player I can to help the team win.”
By recording back-to-back victories for the first time this season, the Cowboys climbed back in the NFC playoff race with a 5-5-1 record.
For its annual Thanksgiving game this season, Dallas will face a team unaccustomed to needing a strong homestretch to scramble into the playoffs. The Kansas City Chiefs have played in the past seven AFC Championship Games and five of the past six Super Bowls.
But this season, Kansas City has a 6-5 record. That puts the Chiefs on the outside of the current AFC playoff field, tied with the Houston Texans and Pittsburgh Steelers behind the three 7-4 wild-card leaders – Los Angeles Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills.
With six regular-season games remaining, the Cowboys have more work to do than Kansas City. The San Francisco 49ers, the current holder of the final wild-card spot in the NFC playoffs, is 8-4, putting them two games ahead of Dallas. The 7-4 Detroit Lions and 6-6 Carolina Panthers also are on the outside trying to get in.
The Alabama Game of the Week is the San Francisco 49ers-Cleveland Browns contest on Sunday. The teams’ active rosters include 13 players from Alabama high schools and colleges.
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The Week 13 schedule (with all times Central and point spreads from BetMGM):
Thursday
Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions (-2.5), noon (FOX)
Kansas City Chiefs (-3) at Dallas Cowboys, 3:30 p.m. (CBS)
Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens (-7), 7:20 p.m. (NBC)
Friday
Chicago Bears at Philadelphia Eagles (-7), 2 p.m. (Prime Video)
Sunday
Los Angeles Rams (-10.5) at Carolina Panthers, noon (WBRC, WCOV, WDFX)
San Francisco 49ers (-5) at Cleveland Browns, noon
Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts (-4.5), noon (WIAT, WKRG, WAKA)
New Orleans Saints at Miami Dolphins (-6), noon (WALA)
Atlanta Falcons (-2.5) at New York Jets, noon (WZDX)
Arizona Cardinals at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-3), noon
Jacksonville Jaguars (-6.5) at Tennessee Titans, noon (WTVY, WHNT)
Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks (-11.5), 3:05 p.m.
Las Vegas Raiders at Los Angeles Chargers (-10), 3:25 p.m.
Buffalo Bills (-4) at Pittsburgh Steelers, 3:25 p.m. (WIAT, WTVY, WHNT, WKRG, WAKA)
Denver Broncos (-6.5) at Washington Commanders, 7:20 p.m. (NBC)
Monday
New York Giants at New England Patriots (-7.5), 7:15 p.m. (ESPN)