Roy Williams: I want the ball more. Terrell Owens: No.
 

Williams frustrated in return to Texas

ESPN.com news services


A Dallas Cowboys wide receiver says he's frustrated by his involvement in the offense -- and it's not Terrell Owens.

Nearly a month ago, Owens and fellow receivers Patrick Crayton and Roy E. Williams met separately with offensive coordinator Jason Garrett to express their concerns about the team's offense.

Since then, Crayton and Owens have said they've seen some positive results in the way the offense is running. Williams, however, has been frustrated as the Cowboys have struggled, and admitted as much as Dallas readied for its win-or-go-home game Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Williams, who has been dealing with a foot injury, has 17 receptions for 194 yards and one touchdown since the Cowboys dealt their first-round, third-round and sixth-round picks to the Detroit Lions to acquire him. And after trying to dismiss questions about his limited production since coming to Dallas, in a trade that was seen as a way for the Cowboys to open up the offense and give quarterback Tony Romo a deep-ball threat, Williams opened up.

"I know I am a player in this league," Williams said, according to Dallas-Fort Worth area media reports. "My thing is, if you brought me in half the season, you obviously know what I am capable of doing. You wouldn't have spent what you did to get a person. You know what I can do. I know what I can do. I can tell you what I can't do. I'm just waiting."

Owens stuck up for Williams, saying his teammate has legitimate reasons to be frustrated.

"If you bring a guy over here and you pay him that much money, you want [him] to be involved," Owens said, according to The (Fort Worth) Star-Telegram. "He has a lot of talent. Otherwise, he wouldn't be here. I'm not saying that in a negative way. I'm saying that because I know he can help the team. Once we figure out a way we can get him more involved and he can help this offense, the better off we'll be."

The trade rescued Williams from the hapless Lions and brought him back home, where he starred at Texas and at Odessa Permian High School (of "Friday Night Lights" fame). It also resulted in a five-year, $45 million contract with the Cowboys.

Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said a number of factors have played a role in Williams' lack of production with the Cowboys. He came to the team at midseason and didn't play with Romo, who was out with a finger injury, for three weeks, Phillips explained. And Williams' foot injury has also affected him, Phillips said.

"I think we do need to get comfortable with him," Phillips said, according to the Star-Telegram. "I don't think we've come to that point. We haven't had that feel yet. But I think we will as we go along or certainly next year."

Williams said he has not been hindered by the injury -- and that he is getting open on the field.

"People can watch the film," Williams said, according to the Star-Telegram. "I'm doing what I am coached to do."

But Williams said the most important thing is for the Cowboys to win on Sunday and earn an NFC wild card playoff berth. He said he made that point earlier this week to teammates who have been ribbing him about having played for the winless Lions, who could become the NFL's first 0-16 team on Sunday.

"That's what I told guys," Williams said, according to the Star-Telegram. "They joke about me with the 0-16 Detroit thing and I just told them, 'If we don't win this game, we're all in the same boat. We both are going to be watching the same playoff game next week.' They all understood that. That put it in perspective."

Owens, for his part, said the Cowboys' offense will click "if we do the necessary things," according to the Dallas Morning News. "If Tony has the time and we get holes for guys who run the ball effectively and Tony can pass effectively, we can't be stopped."

Dallas got screwed by the Lions.

And the Lions out of all people.

all I know is:
the acting GM in Detroit should have just won the job.
B-E-A-UTIFUL

If Dallas doesn't make the playoffs it might be the biggest choke job in modern history of the NFL.

Dallas has been the 90s Chiefs of the 00s.

I think Denver is going to get that designation.

3 games up with 3 to play?

Who could have seen this one coming?

Has anything left the Lions
and amounted to anything

Jason Garrett is not a good offensive coordinator and Romo throws to Witten and even Owens too much.

ESPN is not sports news, its a tabloid.

I hope you're not saying Ed Werder made up that story.

PFT posted an article saying Owens is saying Williams needs the ball more.

T.O. NOW COMPLAINING ON BEHALF OF OTHER RECEIVERS
Posted by Mike Tunison on December 26, 2008, 11:19 a.m.

Terrell Owens, long the self-appointed arbiter of touch distribution for whatever team he’s on, has come forward to say the Cowboys aren’t getting the ball to Roy Williams as much as they should.

“If you bring a guy over here and you pay him that much money, you want (him) to be involved,” Owens told reporters in Irving. “He has a lot of talent. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be here. I’m not saying that in a negative way. I’m saying that because I know he can help the team.

“Once we figure out a way we can get him more involved and he can help this offense, the better off we’ll be.”

Since being dealt to the Cowboys in October for a first, third and sixth round pick, Williams has 17 catches for 194 yards and one touchdown in nine games. He hasn’t had more than three receptions in any of those games.

Wade Phillips responded by saying that a number of factors have contributed to Williams’ lack of looks, including the receiver’s own foot injury, the learning curve any player has when they join a new team halfway through the season and an injury to Tony Romo’s pinkie finger that adversely affected the entire offense for several weeks.

Does it really count as a choke when 2 of the wins were gifts from the league that is trying its best to make Jay Cutler the next Joe Montana?