IRVING, Texas - Here's a shocking stat, telling of just how great Miles Austin has been lately:

In his last two games Austin has 16 catches for 421 yards and four touchdowns. In the 17 games since being acquired by the Cowboys, Roy Williams has 31 catches for 428 yards and two touchdowns.

Austin's emergence is an example of just how quickly things can change in the NFL. A guy can reach star status in just a matter of weeks after being viewed as just a solid special-teamer who may never "get it" enough to be a full-time player.

"It's happened pretty fast, in a couple weeks," Austin told reporters Wednesday. "I didn't have this many people at my locker five weeks ago."

While Austin's rise has been meteoric, Williams provides the example of how a player can evidently slip from offensive centerpiece status to become the other guy in a short time as well.

It's proof of the temporary nature of perceptions in the National What-Have-You-Done-For-Me-Lately League. Even Williams will admit the Cowboys have to go with what's working right now.

"We're going to continue to ride that wave," Williams said. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it. That's what I say. So my hat goes off to him."

No one can argue with what Austin has done over the last two games, the greatest such stretch for a wide receiver in team history. Austin has made the most of his chances, and when the ball goes his way good things seem to be happening.

With Williams, that just hasn't been the case. His 12 catches this season have come on 30 throws in his direction, the lowest efficiency of anyone in the team's passing game. And that's why, for now at least, Williams is talking and looking a lot like the team's second option at wide receiver.

"You want the opportunities," Williams said. "Sometimes it's my fault, I dropped it, or it's low or whatever. You've just got to make the best of them. I think I'm only going to get four or five chances a game."

It's hard to label Williams the "forgotten man" or anything like that because everyone is so familiar with the story - the three draft picks it took to get him here in the trade and the size of the contract extension the Cowboys gave him upon his arrival. His timing with Tony Romo has been daily news, and it's common knowledge the former Detroit Lion has had his share of injury troubles since he got here.

For a number of reasons, Williams hasn't performed like a No. 1 receiver. Up until just recently it seemed to be a serious problem.

Right now, which is what's most important, the Cowboys have a No. 1 in Austin, whose impressive play has been a big part of the team winning its last two games. Williams actually has some reason to be relieved.

"Winning cures all," Williams said. "If I was up north and I had the game we had last Sunday, we would have lost 56-3. But we have such a good football team that even though I played like crap we had other guys step up and it was a big team win for us."

Beating the Falcons helped Williams get over what he called the worst game of his life. The sixth-year receiver had just one catch despite five passes being thrown his way. As disappointing as Williams' Cowboys tenure has been, it's only hit rock bottom recently.

First he took the biggest hit he says he ever has, in the fourth quarter against Denver, a blow from linebacker D.J. Williams which cracked the cartilage surrounding three of his ribs. Williams sat out practice the next week and missed the overtime game against Kansas City, then wasn't ready to return to the practice field during the bye week. But despite the injury and the missed time, Williams isn't looking for excuses.

"I don't want to blame it on rust, I don't want to blame it on medication, nothing like that," he said. "I just played terrible. The thing I've got to do is I have a chance to get better this week."

Wade Phillips said he was impressed by Williams admitting he had played a bad game. It's the players who won't take blame the coach worries about, he said. The Cowboys coaches say Williams goes about things the right way, and it's only a matter of time before things turn around for him.

"He had some opportunities in the game the other day," offensive coordinator Jason Garrett said. "A couple of them were tight-contested plays and we didn't convert for whatever reason. I think we all believe those connections will come."

How long will it take? Maybe not long at all, since things can change so quickly in the NFL.

Just as Austin has risen to prominence quickly, it won't be long before defenses adapt to keep him from beating them.

"You can put two guys on a guy all the time," Phillips said. "We've seen that when Terrell (Owens) was here. That's tough to have a big game when they do that, but we won a lot of those games when Terrell was here because we had other guys make plays.

"It makes it harder on Miles. You would think they're going to try to roll (coverage) to him or do something to him for a while, and say 'Hey, he's not going to kill us like he killed the last two teams.'"

With the opposing teams' focus likely to begin shifting elsewhere, Williams should have more opportunities to make plays. He just has to make them.

He now says his ribs are healed, and swears the injury isn't an issue going forward. His timing with Tony Romo should be getting better, too, since he's back on the practice field after some time away.

Williams has stayed positive through all the trials since he came here. Everyone acknowledges the talent he possesses.

"I know I can play," Williams said. "I think I said earlier in the year in this offense you don't know who's going to make the plays. Right now Miles is making the plays."

Ah, but how quickly things can change.

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