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Archer: Good or bad, Cowboys WR Roy Williams doesn't mind being target
01:28 AM CDT on Monday, October 4, 2010
COLUMN By TODD ARCHER / The Dallas Morning News
tarcher@dallasnews.com
Column by TODD ARCHER / The Dallas Morning News | tarcher@dallasnews.com
Todd Archer
Archive | E-mail
IRVING – As Wade Phillips gave out game balls Thursday for the Cowboys' win against Houston, he gave special mention to Roy Williams.
As much as Williams received the honor for his five-catch, 117-yard, two-touchdown effort, Phillips pointed out how well the wide receiver has handled the barbs that have come his way since he arrived in the trade from Detroit in 2008.
"Even when the media or the people came in and praised him for a big game, he said, 'I'm just part of a team. I'm trying to do my best,'" Phillips said. "That's been his attitude and that's appreciated by me but also by our team."
Williams has been an easy and often target. In his first 25 games as a Cowboy, he caught 57 passes for 794 yards and eight touchdowns, but he has been a convenient scapegoat for more than a lack of production. When the Cowboys failed to connect on third down, it was Williams' fault. The defense's lack of turnovers? Williams' fault. Those weeds in your lawn? Williams' fault.
His big contract (five years, $45 million) and the price the Cowboys paid to get him (first-, third- and sixth-round picks) became the baseline for bad deals across the league.
The lack of production did not help his cause, but one of Williams' problems was that he never had some of the franchise's biggest names in his corner.
Last month, Michael Irvin said the Cowboys were playing "10 against 11" with Williams on the field in what was another in a string of critiques that have come from the Hall of Fame receiver. In the spring of 2009, Troy Aikman said this would be the worst trade in the history of the NFL if Williams didn't work out. And that came from a guy who benefitted from the best trade in NFL history when Herschel Walker was sent to Minnesota.
Yet even when Williams has a chance to pound his chest, like after his game against Houston, he doesn't.
"I think with my play, if things were to continue like they've been going the first three games and we end up winning a whole bunch of games and Roy Williams has over 1,000 yards, I think that will silence everybody," Williams said. "Then everybody will say, 'All right, he's pretty good.' So I can't say nothing. They can talk bad about me all they want. I'll take it."
On the season, Williams has 12 catches for 191 yards and two touchdowns. The number of receptions equals his best three-game stretch since joining the Cowboys. The yardage total represents his second-best stretch.
If Williams can produce like this, then the Cowboys offense can be that much more difficult to defend with Miles Austin and rookie Dez Bryant also capable of the big play.
"When your number is called, it's your opportunity to make a play and Roy did that the other day," assistant head coach Jason Garrett said. "Really, he's done that all year."
Williams has made big plays, like the 63-yard touchdown vs. Houston, but also smaller plays, like absorbing crunching hits and still holding the ball against Chicago. He doesn't know if it is his weight loss that has helped his agility or the passes caught in the off-season with Tony Romo that has led to more production.
"I told you guys in OTAs and in training camp that it's going to pay off during the season, and so far, so good," Williams said "I think it's just time. It finally got there. Finally."
01:28 AM CDT on Monday, October 4, 2010
COLUMN By TODD ARCHER / The Dallas Morning News
tarcher@dallasnews.com
Column by TODD ARCHER / The Dallas Morning News | tarcher@dallasnews.com
Todd Archer
Archive | E-mail
IRVING – As Wade Phillips gave out game balls Thursday for the Cowboys' win against Houston, he gave special mention to Roy Williams.
As much as Williams received the honor for his five-catch, 117-yard, two-touchdown effort, Phillips pointed out how well the wide receiver has handled the barbs that have come his way since he arrived in the trade from Detroit in 2008.
"Even when the media or the people came in and praised him for a big game, he said, 'I'm just part of a team. I'm trying to do my best,'" Phillips said. "That's been his attitude and that's appreciated by me but also by our team."
Williams has been an easy and often target. In his first 25 games as a Cowboy, he caught 57 passes for 794 yards and eight touchdowns, but he has been a convenient scapegoat for more than a lack of production. When the Cowboys failed to connect on third down, it was Williams' fault. The defense's lack of turnovers? Williams' fault. Those weeds in your lawn? Williams' fault.
His big contract (five years, $45 million) and the price the Cowboys paid to get him (first-, third- and sixth-round picks) became the baseline for bad deals across the league.
The lack of production did not help his cause, but one of Williams' problems was that he never had some of the franchise's biggest names in his corner.
Last month, Michael Irvin said the Cowboys were playing "10 against 11" with Williams on the field in what was another in a string of critiques that have come from the Hall of Fame receiver. In the spring of 2009, Troy Aikman said this would be the worst trade in the history of the NFL if Williams didn't work out. And that came from a guy who benefitted from the best trade in NFL history when Herschel Walker was sent to Minnesota.
Yet even when Williams has a chance to pound his chest, like after his game against Houston, he doesn't.
"I think with my play, if things were to continue like they've been going the first three games and we end up winning a whole bunch of games and Roy Williams has over 1,000 yards, I think that will silence everybody," Williams said. "Then everybody will say, 'All right, he's pretty good.' So I can't say nothing. They can talk bad about me all they want. I'll take it."
On the season, Williams has 12 catches for 191 yards and two touchdowns. The number of receptions equals his best three-game stretch since joining the Cowboys. The yardage total represents his second-best stretch.
If Williams can produce like this, then the Cowboys offense can be that much more difficult to defend with Miles Austin and rookie Dez Bryant also capable of the big play.
"When your number is called, it's your opportunity to make a play and Roy did that the other day," assistant head coach Jason Garrett said. "Really, he's done that all year."
Williams has made big plays, like the 63-yard touchdown vs. Houston, but also smaller plays, like absorbing crunching hits and still holding the ball against Chicago. He doesn't know if it is his weight loss that has helped his agility or the passes caught in the off-season with Tony Romo that has led to more production.
"I told you guys in OTAs and in training camp that it's going to pay off during the season, and so far, so good," Williams said "I think it's just time. It finally got there. Finally."