‘Nobody Trying To Be A Superhero’: Javonte Williams, Tyler Goodson Power Dallas Cowboys’ 179-Yard Rushing Day vs. Indianapolis Colts

INDIANAPOLIS — Javonte Williams ran for 101 yards and the go-ahead touchdown Sunday, and Tyler Goodson added 77 yards against the team he played for from 2023 to 2025. The Dallas Cowboys rushed for 179 yards on 34 carries in a 27-23 win over the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Williams carried 20 times for 101 yards and 1 touchdown, a 1-yard run with 1:08 left, and caught 4 passes for 23 yards. Goodson ran 12 times for 77 yards with a long of 13. Dallas finished with 508 total yards and averaged 7.2 yards per play.

Left tackle Tyler Guyton felt good about the run game, though he wanted to evaluate the tape from above before judging it. Williams averaged 5.1 yards per carry, and Goodson averaged 6.4.

“Just sticking to the plan. Nobody trying to be a superhero. Everybody doing their job,” Guyton said. “All 11 on the field working together.”

The Indianapolis linebackers played downhill early and tried to be more patient late, Goodson said. Dallas kept attacking them and getting double teams up to the second level.

“We also hit on a couple perimeter stuff as well, but I think hitting them downhill, duo schemes and inside zone schemes was our best run schemes for us today,” Goodson said. “It was tough sledding, but as the game kept going, I felt like we got more consistent with it.”

“For sure, that’s the game. That’s the game of the running back,” Goodson continued. “You got to go in there, find the rhythm, and let the game come to you.”

Tyler Goodson Returns From Knee Injury Against Former Team

Goodson left in the first half with a knee injury and returned in the third quarter, carrying 5 more times for 33 yards. Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said Goodson battled through a knee and should be okay.

“You just kind of shake it off and pretend it didn’t even happen at that point. We got guys that we all depend on each other, and I want to do my part and help this team win,” Goodson explained. “So I’m gonna do everything I can to get out there on the field. If it’s just a little pain, I’m gonna go. But if it’s somewhere I just can’t go, then I won’t go. But just a little pain or injury where I can put pressure on it, I’m going.”

Goodson rushed 54 times for 264 yards and 1 touchdown in 33 regular-season games with the Colts. He signed with the Atlanta Falcons in March, played at Lucas Oil Stadium with them in the preseason, and joined Dallas off Atlanta’s practice squad on Sept. 15.

“It was very exciting. I came back here in the preseason when I was with Atlanta. Played well here, and I just want to do the same thing because I just want to show this team and everybody in the league I can play football and play at the running back position,” Goodson said. “So I was more than excited, and I feel like I had an efficient game, and I just got to keep stacking from here.”

Dak Prescott Credits Offensive Line After Javonte Williams Reaches 100 Yards

When Williams gets 100 yards, Dak Prescott said, the numbers back up the balance Dallas is trying to have. A week earlier, in a 33-30 overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals, they did not.

“It was big. It allows us to have some balance. I mean, as you just said, after last week, there’s one thing of the numbers necessarily adding up to you having the balance. And when he goes and gets 100 yards, it does,” Prescott said. “And last week, trying to be balanced, and the numbers might not showing it. This week they did, and that’s why you’ve got to stay committed to it, and get the run action, the play actions off of that.”

“And so that’s really credit to the guys up front. I know that they’re not proud of what they put on tape last week, and that wasn’t who they are,” Prescott continued. “And so, if we’re going to win, we’re going to win starting with the guys up front, and that’s on both sides of the ball. And so tonight’s a good one for us to build off of.”

Williams had 43 yards on 10 carries in the first half and 58 yards on 10 carries after halftime. Schottenheimer said Dallas moved the ball really at will.

“… We are blessed to have a one-two punch like that,” Schottenheimer said. “But Javonte getting over 100 yards [today] was really cool. It was a little bit of a slow start early on from that regard, but we just kind of found our rhythm as the game went on.”

All the guys pulled it together at the end, Guyton said, and Williams finished the final drive by going in from the 1. Guyton was the 29th overall pick in 2024.

“Our backs are amazing. They always find the open gap, and they make plays, and we have a special group in there,” Guyton explained. “So I’m really thankful to have them running behind us, and just got to keep it rolling.”

Dallas entered the week ranked last in the NFL in run defense and held Indianapolis to 105 rushing yards. The Cowboys, now 4-5, host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Nov. 15, at 3:25 p.m. CT on FOX.