The hidden character in nearly every Cowboys’ big play that deserves much more credit for signature win over Eagles
The Cowboys don’t beat the Eagles if Javonte Williams isn’t on that field on Sunday.
Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams needs a statue built for him after the pass protection display he put on against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday’s 24-21 win. Following the comeback win, Williams told reporters postgame George Pickens’ 43-yard catch was the play that made the team believe they could win it.
He added Pickens keeps surprising him with his crazy grabs, and while the Cowboys wide receiver is the motor of the offense right now, Williams deserves a large share of the spotlight for the team’s comeback. He’s also a player that keeps surprising us with his contributions on offense Simply put, the Cowboys don’t win it if Williams isn’t on the field. Period.
And while his 87 rushing yards are part of the reason why I say that, they’re only a small part of it. In reality, I’m thinking about the way he kept Dak Prescott safe during the biggest plays of the game with big time blocks. Let’s dive in.
Javonte Williams showed up in the biggest games of the Cowboys’ win
Do you know those movies where there’s a big reveal at the end about a key character always being in the background of pivotal moments and you just never noticed him? That was Williams on Sunday’s win. Let’s start with Pickens’ monster catch that breathed life into the Cowboys.
It’s a seven-man pass protection scheme off of play action—five offensive linemen plus the TE and RB staying in to block before releasing on check downs. In the play, which you can see below, Williams works across the pocket to help backup LT Nate Thomas and stone walls Eagles EDGE Jalyx Hunt. If it isn’t for him, Hunt either rushes Prescott’s pass or he sacks him. The result? Just enough time for Prescott and Pickens to make the biggest play of the game.
And what about Pickens’ final catch to set up the easy field goal for Brandon Aubrey? With only 43 seconds on the clock, the Eagles send six defenders after Prescott and in the blink of an eye, LB Nakobe Dean passes through the B-gap (between the guard and tackle) unblocked. What looks like a dead play is saved by Williams stepping up to Dean. Prescott is still hit, but Williams block allows him to get the ball out to Pickens. Earlier in the game, Dean did a fantastic job bull rushing Williams. But in a game-winning play, Williams got his payback.
So that’s one touchdown and the play to secure the game-winning field goal. But in an earlier score, Williams was also there. In a bootleg play action concept, Williams is tasked with blocking the end man on the line of scrimmage. He not only blocks his man, he rattles him with a big block. Prescott extends the play to find TE Brevyn Spann-Ford for the second touchdown of the day.
They like to say running backs don’t matter in the NFL. But when they’re getting yards and playing personal bodyguard for your starting quarterback, they’re one of the most important players on your roster.
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Great teammate.
