Terrance Williams: How important is he to Week 2 success?

The Dallas Cowboys won’t have superstar wide receiver Dez Bryant for apparently at least six weeks due to a fracture in his right foot, so the focus turns to wide receiver Terrance Williams, who is the new No. 1 guy for the next month-and-some-change.

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He’ll line up as the “X” receiver in the Cowboys offense, and although the ‘Boys have shown especially close interest in Clyde Gates and Nick Toon (in addition to acquiring intriguing wideout Brice Butler from the Oakland Raiders), who would be an intriguing fit for the Cowboys despite being axed by the New Orleans Saints this offseason after losing out on their No. 3 gig, former 2014 fifth-round pick Devin Street looks like the other starter in two-wide sets with Cole Beasley kicking inside.

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Street deserves plenty of attention in the pre-game build-up to Sunday’s 4:25 p.m. ET game between the Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles, but Williams will be the most important player on offense with Bryant out. Although Jason Witten figures to be the team’s top option and Beasley will likely see more targets coming his way, Williams is the guy who can threaten the Eagles pass defense deep, which will be crucial for helping the underneath guys and the running game out.

As we saw in the Eagles Week 1 loss to the Atlanta Falcons in the early Monday Night Football game, Philly’s biggest weakness is still in the secondary. However, they mainly lost the game because superstar wideout Julio Jones went off for 9 receptions for 141 yards and two touchdowns on just 11 targets, immediately showing the rest of the league why he could be the league’s most productive receiver this season, especially in Kyle Shanahan’s No. 1 receiver-friendly offense (see Pierre Garcon‘s league-high targets and receptions in 2013 if you don’t believe me).

Jones had his way with Eagles big-name offseason signing Byron Maxwell, burning him in just about every way possible. There are few players in this league who are as athletic or explosive as Jones, and Williams isn’t one of those players.

That said, Williams is one of the best playmakers at the wide receiver position, and he showed that off several times in the postseason, breaking the Detroit Lions game open with this ability. He’s averaged 16.7 and 16.8 yards per reception in his first two seasons, and he’s also put up a whopping 13 combined receiving touchdowns, even though he’s only had 44 and 37 receptions in his first two years.

For the Cowboys offense to be at its best against a more difficult NFC East defense than the New York Giants unit, this team will need Williams to step up. He caught five passes for 60 yards against the Giants, doing his best to move the chains against star corners Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Prince Amukamara. However, it took him eight targets to hit 60 yards, and he left yards on the table by committing a drop.

The drops will continue to happen in the future for Williams, so the key for him on Sunday against the Eagles is to get open consistently. We already know he can burn the Eagles defense deep with his speed and fluid movements, and we also know that he’s a good bet to find the end zone now that he’s the team’s No. 1 receiver by default.

But with Street starting across from him and no guarantee that the former, impressive Pitt wideout will prove some doubters wrong, Terrance Williams has to be “the guy”. He’s long been aided by playing across from a healthy Bryant, who commanded attention and allowed the former Baylor star more room to make splash plays. Now with Maxwell and the rest of the Eagles improved secondary focused on him, he will have to be the one to take the pressure off of Tony Romo and the rest of the Cowboys offense.

Although the Cowboys defeated the Giants, they needed a game-winning drive to conquer an inferior opponent. Even though the Eagles lost to the Falcons, the Cowboys will be in for a more difficult test on Sunday.

Romo is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL at spreading the ball around, so don’t expect Williams to load up on targets this week. Again, Witten and Beasley actually look like the favorites to lead the Cowboys in receptions on Sunday, and you can’t count out Lance Dunbar either. That said, Williams is the team’s best playmaker and best outside receiver with Bryant out, and those two points are critical against an Eagles defense that is beaten best by big plays on the outside.

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Sep 13, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys receiver Terrance Williams (83) has a pass broken up by New York Giants cornerback Jayron Hosley (28) in the second quarter at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

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Will Terrance Williams rise to occasion in Week 2?

By Kevin Parvizi | Sep 17, 2015

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