RK Dak Prescott just AFFIRMED what every Cowboys fan was already whispering about Quinnen Williams — and his message is louder, bolder, and WAY more real than anyone expected.

Dallas Cowboys v Las Vegas Raiders | Ian Maule/GettyImages

The Dallas Cowboys picked up an emotional win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday night. They still have a long way to go to climb back into the NFC playoff race, but this is clearly a much better team than what fans saw over the first nine games before the bye week.

Plugging in a three-time Pro Bowler on the defensive line will do that. Playing in his first game for Dallas since he was acquired before the trade deadline, Quinnen Williams was a one-man wrecking crew.

Expectations were set pretty high for Williams given the health and talent of the Raiders’ offensive line, and he managed to blow past them. Dak Prescott, who threw for 268 yards and four touchdowns, has been blown away by Williams since he touched down in DFW.

Cowboys’ Dak Prescott is thrilled to have Quinnen Williams as a teammate

“I don’t know if there are words for it,” Prescott said of Williams’ debut. “Special individual. From the moment he has walked into the building, I’ve got a match in putting the time in, taking care of the body. That’s somebody that challenges me. And just being a professional, and inspires me in everything that he’s doing. The conversations that we’ve had, discussing what he expects out of an offense and the way that he plays, and vice versa, super impressed with him.”

“Obviously, I’ve known he’s been a dude from playing against him and watching it, but to have him as a teammate now, we’re very, very fortunate. And he’s going to continue to be the man that he is, and he’s raising everybody’s focus and intensity. You saw it tonight. And he’s a leader.”

Beyond being a game-wrecker on the field, Williams is a natural leader. He made sure to credit his teammates and coaches for his monster debut. “Monster” might be underselling what he put forth at Allegiant Stadium.

A first-team All-Pro in 2022, Williams tallied 1.5 sacks, seven pressures, and a career-high five quarterback hits. He nearly had another sack, but Geno Smith got rid of the ball at the last second, leading to an intentional grounding. He had more sacks and QB hits in one game with the Cowboys than he had in eight games with the Jets this season.

Williams had requested a trade from New York three different times. However, it was never publicized because he’s not one to create distractions. That speaks to the kind of person he is, but you could tell he was rejuvenated on Monday night.

Williams’ impact had a domino effect on the entire defense, not just the defensive line. DaRon Bland, Malik Hooker, Caelan Carson, Shavon Revel, and Kenneth Murray all turned in really strong games. That is not a coincidence, folks.

The Cowboys will play much better offenses than the Raiders in the next month, but Williams will at least make the defense functional enough for the team to compete against the likes of the Eagles, Chiefs, and Lions. It might not result in a playoff berth this year, but Dallas fans can sleep easily at night knowing Williams will be a cornerstone of their defense for the foreseeable future.