The Dallas Cowboys don’t have much time to recover before Thursday night’s matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but Quinnen Williams isn’t interested in making excuses.
Dallas is preparing for its third game in 11 days, including a trip to Brazil in Week 3 and Sunday’s dramatic victory over the Houston Texans. While Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer acknowledged that his team is tired and sore, Williams said he personally feels ready for another opportunity.
That mentality could be important for a Cowboys defense that needs to continue building momentum.
Quinnen Williams believes he’s trending in the right direction
Williams entered the season expecting to become a consistent difference-maker for Dallas, and he believes he’s starting to see that progress.
After struggling to make the type of impact he expected early in the season, Williams recorded his first sack of 2026 against Houston. He also finished with two tackles for loss, giving the Cowboys’ defensive front a much-needed boost.
“I feel like I’m going in the right direction,” Williams said. “I got a lot of things to grow on, a lot of things to do, and keep going in the right direction.”
The Cowboys need that progression to continue.
Dallas has struggled to consistently generate pressure this season, making Williams’ emergence even more important. His ability to create pressure from the interior can make life easier for the team’s edge rushers and give the secondary more opportunities to make plays.
Williams also emphasized the importance of improving against the run.
“Getting a couple sacks last week, getting the quarterback down, that’s the biggest one that I can see,” Williams said. “Just getting better every single day, every single opportunity, stopping the run especially.”
Cowboys must keep Jalon Daniels in the pocket
Williams’ next challenge will be dealing with a very different type of quarterback.
Tampa Bay will start undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels for the second consecutive game with Baker Mayfield dealing with a thumb injury. Daniels showed his mobility against Green Bay, rushing for 55 yards on eight carries.
That’s a major concern for Dallas.
The Cowboys have allowed the most rushing yards to quarterbacks in the NFL this season, meaning keeping Daniels contained will be just as important as getting pressure on him.
Williams knows the defensive line can’t afford to let individual players lose their rush lanes.
“Just rushing all as one,” Williams said. “All four of us have got to be on the same page when we’re running games, when we’re just rushing straight and different things like that, and collapsing the pocket.”
If Dallas can consistently collapse the pocket without giving Daniels escape lanes, the Cowboys could make life difficult for the rookie quarterback.
Williams isn’t using the short week as an excuse
The Cowboys have every reason to be physically worn down.
Thursday’s game will be their third in an 11-day span, and the first came after a 10-hour trip to Brazil. Dallas then played a physical game against Baltimore before traveling to Houston and needing a fourth-quarter comeback to beat the Texans.
Williams, however, doesn’t see the schedule as a problem.
“I’m not tired,” Williams said. “I love football, I look more forward to the opportunity and getting a chance to play again, get to play at prime time against a great team, against Todd Bowles. It’s an amazing opportunity for us.”
That mindset could be exactly what Dallas needs.
The Cowboys are trying to build on their 34-30 victory over Houston, and Williams has an opportunity to play a major role in that effort. If his performance against the Texans was the beginning of the defensive tackle’s turnaround, Thursday night could be another step forward.
Williams isn’t worried about being tired.
Now, the Cowboys need him to make sure Tampa Bay’s offense feels it.
