Machota: With Dez out, Terrance Williams shows he can produce as No. 1 receiver

[Cotton]

With Dez Bryant out, Terrance Williams shows he can produce as No. 1 receiver

By Jon Machota
Staff Writer

PHILADELPHIA -- With Dez Bryant sidelined because of a broken foot, Terrance Williams was the Cowboys' No. 1 wide receiver on Sunday. The role wasn't completely new to the third-year player out of Baylor.

With Bryant skipping offseason workouts while seeking a new long-term contract, Williams worked as the team's No. 1 receiver. On Sunday, he led all players with 84 receiving yards and a touchdown on four receptions.

"I always had confidence," Williams said. "It's just now that the coaches are looking for me to bring a little bit more to the table because it's not here. Once I have those guys' trust, I'm trying my best not to let it slip."

Now, Williams must adjust to playing without Tony Romo. The encouraging part for the Cowboys is that Williams has experience working with Weeden. Since Romo hasn't been practicing on Wednesdays, Weeden has picked up the extra reps with the first team.

Williams and Weeden were at their best Sunday in the fourth quarter when they hooked up on a slant route that went for a 42-yard touchdown.

"Brandon is a good quarterback," Williams said, "so our job is to find a way for him to throw us the ball, where we can create separation and get the ball."

 

[Smitty]

Did he show that? He had three receptions for about 40 yards and no touchdowns before that last catch and run TD against what was very likely an Eagles defense that was so tired or disgusted that it was throwing in the towel.

I'm glad the guy got some nice looks and responded to an extent but he didn't make me feel like he's gonna be the guy to take up the slack with Dez out; that will still have to come from a committee. It's not like he had 7 for 110 or anything. Not like he propelled them to an early lead.

With Romo gone, something has to change with the running game and this means now. Better try out Michael because the Randle/McFadden combo averaging 3.0 per carry ain't good enough.

 

[dallen]

I thought he showed he is in a little over his head as a #1. He had an ok game. He showed he can produce at about the same level he usually does with Dez in there, at least against a terrible secondary. He definitely didn't open anything up for the other receivers which IMO is one of the most important duties for a #1. He is a very good #2 receiver, but if I am GM of another team he isn't someone I would target to try to build my WR corps around

 

[BipolarFuk]

He doesn't have the hands to be a #1

 

[Cowboysrock55]

I thought he showed he is in a little over his head as a #1. He had an ok game. He showed he can produce at about the same level he usually does with Dez in there, at least against a terrible secondary. He definitely didn't open anything up for the other receivers which IMO is one of the most important duties for a #1. He is a very good #2 receiver, but if I am GM of another team he isn't someone I would target to try to build my WR corps around

No he isn't that type of a WR. He is the type of guy who could look really good with an Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady throwing to him but he isn't the type of WR who will make a bad QB look good. With that being said sometimes you just have to feed the guy the ball a little bit. He had a drop in there that if he had caught it his numbers would have looked really good. I think Williams gets pretty good separation, I just don't think our QBs are really looking to him the way they do Dez Bryant. There just isn't that type of trust level.

 

[Cotton]

He doesn't have the hands to be a #1

This is it right here. You can't be a #1 if you have to catch the ball with your body all the time. You are going to be going against their best CB, and will be catching the ball in traffic a lot. This dictates that you reach out and catch the ball away from your body, which Williams has proven he has and will continue to struggle with.

 

[ravidubey]

He doesn't have the hands to be a #1

Too many fricking drops in just two games.