There were tons of doubts about the Dallas Cowboys' running back position before the season started, but Javonte Williams has shut down any and all concerns fans had.
Simply put, Williams has been one of the best RBs in football this season. His ability to keep his feet churning through contact is probably his best feature. He's one of those guys that defenders really have to work to bring down. That work has resulted in Williams outperforming none other than Eagles superstar Saquon Barkley, who was at the forefront of MVP conversations last year.
Nobody is saying that Williams is a better running back than Barkley. There aren't many players in the world, if any, who can do a backwards hurdle, but Barkley is one of the best at his position. It's a long season, but for now, Williams has put the NFL on notice while Barkley is far behind him.
Javonte Williams' Cowboys resurrection has him outperforming Saquon Barkley
In five games, Williams has rushed 79 times for 447 rushing yards and six touchdowns. On the other hand, Barkley has rushed 84 times for 304 yards and four touchdowns. While we can talk about numbers all day, this also highlights that Williams is getting past the Cowboys' Achilles heel.
The offensive line for Philly is one of the best in the league, while the Cowboys' lone true starter against the New York Jets was Terrence Steele due to injuries. Simply put, the offensive line for the Dallas looked like a preseason game. That didn't stop Williams from rushing for 135 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries.
Barkley is the superior back, making nearly $20 million more annually than Williams. The fifth-year man from North Carolina is now second in the NFL in rushing, and he says he's more focused than ever before.
During the summer, Cowboys fans were uncertain about their logjam at RB. It looked like we were going to see a repeat identity crisis like we did in 2024, but instead, Williams has shut down all of that noise.
It's not just Williams with more rushing yards. Bill Croskey-Merritt, Quinshon Judkins, Jordan Mason and Rico Dowdle have more yards than Barkley this season. With Barkley only getting six carries in the Broncos game, it seems like the Eagles have their own crisis to deal with.
This is exciting for Williams, but this all goes to show how the Eagles have problems, too, and Cowboys fans always love hearing that.