The Dallas Cowboys have a storied history of franchise running backs but have been in a drought the last few seasons without a staunch run offense.
After finishing second-to-last in the NFL last season with a 60.7 run offense grade on Pro Football Focus (PFF), the Cowboys brought in a necessary difference-maker in Javonte Williams.
The former 2021 second-round draft pick never recorded 1,000 yards in a season over four with the Denver Broncos. That’s not what Dallas needs from Williams.
What the Cowboys desperately needed was balance; a complementary offense is what they’ve shown through two weeks.
What may be intricately tied with the strong performance of Dak Prescott is a resurgent rush attack led by Williams.
According to ESPN, in the season opening loss, Williams became the first Dallas running back to have two touchdowns in his team debut since Herschel Walker in 1986 – in a non-strike season.
In the Cowboys’ overtime win over the New York Giants, the team first took a lead after a 30-yard touchdown by Williams that was the longest touchdown run of his career.
That run placed him in franchise history alongside Walker and Alvin Blount as the only three Dallas players to record three rushing touchdowns in their first two games with the team.
He recorded 18 carries, a slight uptick from his Week 1 load of 15, in the win over the Giants, and led rushers on both sides with 97 yards
Williams also caught six of seven targets for 33 receiving yards.
According to Dan Rogers on X, Williams isn’t just making an impact in the Cowboys’ backfield – he’s in the top two of the leaderboards in just about every meaningful category across the NFL.
That includes most first downs by rush, rushing touchdowns, and expected points added (EPA). He’s third in highest rushing success rate for all running backs with 25 or more carries.
As Jon Machota of The Athletic transcribed on X, Ceedee Lamb sees how much the offense benefits from Williams’ rejuvenating the run game.
“It’s amazing,” Lamb said. “They’re going to have to stack the box. And once there’s (only) one safety up there, it’s game on.”
When teams don’t respect the rush attack, it can make an offense incredibly one-dimensional. Williams have made teams fear that element for Dallas.
As the Cowboys look ahead to the Chicago Bears in Week 3, they have a chance to really lean into a potent offense that isn’t just propped up by the passing game.