Two second half TDs for Javonte Williams in loss

Williams had a very easy rushing score — his first one where he only had to beat one defender to the outside after a pair of pulls. He also had a very hard one, where he dragged several Texans defenders into the red zone. The Cowboys didn’t run the ball much, but when they did it was effective. Williams was averaging 5.1 yards per tote before the second half, where he simply lived in the goal-to-go set. He’ll be on the low-end RB1 line in Week 5 against a Jalon Daniels-led Bucs outfit on Thursday night.

The Cowboys drew up a lot of carries for Williams early in this one. The 26-year-old back totaled seven carries for 45 yards on his team’s first two possessions, and punched in a two-yard score late in the fourth quarter to put the Cowboys up 10-0. Williams would mostly be bottled up by the Ravens after his score, but he did break free for a 22-yard run in the third quarter that helped set up a Brandon Aubrey field goal — which was blocked. This is undoubtedly the best game of the season for Williams, who hadn’t gone for more than 41 yards in either of his first two games. That said, he still struggled at times to get going on the ground, as seven of his carries went for two or fewer yards. His volume remains reliable enough to keep him in the RB2 conversation for next week’s game against the Texans.

The Cowboys dominated through the air on Sunday, but the same can’t be said of their efforts on the ground. Washington bottled up Williams all afternoon, with his biggest play coming on a nine-yard run on the Cowboys’ final drive. Williams has just 71 rushing yards on 24 attempts (3.0 YPC), but has also seen nine targets in his first two games. He remains the unquestioned leader of the Cowboys’ backfield and will be a volume-based RB2 in next week’s game against the Ravens.

Per Schottenheimer, Blue and Mafah “are in a tight battle for the backup running back spot.” Blue has received positive reports for some time now. His speed and receiving ability make him an ideal complement to starting RB Javonte Williams, who “probably won’t get a whole lot of run” in the preseason. If Blue can secure the role, he could warrant FLEX treatment on a weekly basis. Mafah (6'/234) is a burly rusher. Were he to win the RB2 job, he may be ill-suited to playing on passing downs, which could benefit Williams. We’ll see how things shake out in the preseason. Stay tuned.

Machota noted Blue’s pass-catching ability as the biggest reason for him to potentially see some work behind Williams. Blue caught 42 passes for 368 yards and six scores during his final season at Texas. He then flopped as a rookie, seeing just one catch and 38 carries in total. The bulk of his opportunities came in a meaningless Week 18 game. Still, Dallas did nothing to address their backfield depth this offseason and head coach Brian Schottenheimer has talked up Blue’s work ethic this time around. With a strong training camp, Blue could cement himself as a change-of-pace option for the Cowboys, putting him on the menu for fantasy drafters in deeper leagues.

Reporters noticed Williams was not participating in organized team activities last week. The Cowboys hosted their three-day mandatory minicamp this week, and it sounds like Williams was either limited or held out again today. Schottenheimer was asked whether this was due to Williams’ shoulder injury from last season or simply veteran maintenance. Fortunately, Schottenheimer said Williams is “in a great spot” and “looks great.” His absence was “more about getting the young guys some reps in this last full-speed practice.” It seems like the Cowboys are hoping that one of Blue or Mafah can step up and be a reliable backup. If one separates from the other, he will be a worthwhile late-round pick.

ESPN’s Todd Archer advises that readers not to get carried away with any of today’s observations. It’s a reasonable preface. There is no reason to think Williams’ absence is concerning. The Cowboys are still conducting voluntary workouts, so he is not compelled to be there. Mandatory minicamp is scheduled for June 16-18. Archer adds that RBs Phil Mafah, Jaydon Blue and Malik Davis split first-team reps, with Mafah notably taking the first snap.

The deal includes $16 million in guaranteed money and ties the veteran back to the Cowboys through the 2028 season. Coming off a career year, Williams remains with the Cowboys after playing the 2025 season on a one-year, “prove it” deal. The value on the contract is the same as was recently signed by Bears running back D’Andre Swift, making Williams the 16th highest paid back in the league on an average annual value basis. Expect Williams to enter the 2026 regular season as a borderline workhorse after handling 252 carries and seeing 51 targets in 16 healthy games a season ago.

Williams, 25, produced multiple career-bests this season, notably rushing for more than 1,000 yards for the very first time. A multi-year extension could keep Williams in a Cowboys uniform through the rest of his prime. Hopefully, the team can get the No. 2 RB role sorted out in 2026 to help keep Williams fresh down the stretch.

Williams had a breakout year with the Cowboys in 2025, rushing 252 times for 1,201 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground and adding 35 catches on 51 targets for 137 receiving yards and two additional touchdowns. He was one of the true value picks of the fantasy football season as Dallas’ running game came together under new OC Klayton Adams. Williams seems fully recovered from previous knee, quad, and hip injuries and enters free agency in a much better position this offseason, perhaps a position that will keep him too expensive to come back to the Cowboys. The soon-to-be 26-year-old will be one of the best running backs on the market in March.