DETROIT — Since the blockbuster trade that landed Quinnen Williams in Dallas, the Cowboys were allowing less than 22 points per game heading into Ford Field to face the Detroit Lions, but that all changed in Week 14 on Thursday Night Football; and it led to the Cowboys suffering their first loss since Week 9.
The defense looked like a shell of the version that was put on film against the Las Vegas Raiders and, more importantly, against the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles and Patrick Mahomes and his Kansas City Chiefs — the Lions finishing with 44 points scored, the highest mark by the Cowboys' defense this season.
It left Williams and the entire unit searching for answers following the loss.
"I got to watch the film but, as a defense, man, we are way better than [allowing] 44 points," the three-time Pro Bowler said. "Man, we've got a great defense. We've got a great defensive line, and we've gotta do our job to the best of our ability, and execute, to the best of our ability, and just make more plays — especially in this D-line room. We've got the ability to do it."
There seemed to be no answer for running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who gashed Dallas time and again once he got the ball in space. And then there was David Montgomery and a 35-yard touchdown in the second quarter that punished tight end Jake Ferguson for losing a fumble a few plays earlier.
The rushing attack wasn't the only thing going well for Detroit, though, seeing as wideouts Jameson Williams and Amon-Ra St. Brown racked up 96 receiving yards and 92 receiving yards, respectively, on a night when Jared Goff threw for a total of 309 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions and a passer rating of 111.0 through four quarters.
"Anytime you lose, especially [allowing] the points that they put up, it's just really a hard pill for you to swallow," Williams said. "But we got the guys in the D-line room who are gonna watch the film, take the criticism, take accountability, and never let it happen again."
After exiting their post-bye gauntlet, or at least the first four games of it, with a 3-1 record through 17 calendar days, it's time for the Cowboys to recover and reset for what's to come: only five games to prove they still deserve a playoff berth, and needing a good bit of help to aid their cause.
For the defense, as Williams made clear, it's about exactly that: resetting.
"It's always going to be a little down after a loss, especially when we were having so much success and winning the last few weeks, and then taking a loss this week," the All-Pro said. "It's gonna be down, but everybody is accountable, man. Everybody holds each other accountable.
"Everybody's gonna watch the film and get better, and fix the things we need to fix."
