‘You Got To Do Better’: Dallas Cowboys DT Quinnen Williams Calls Out Skip Bayless Over ‘Executed’ Comments
FRISCO, Texas — Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Quinnen Williams called out Skip Bayless on X on Thursday, a few hours after Bayless said on ESPN’s First Take that he wanted several Dallas players executed during Sunday’s 33-30 overtime loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
Bayless built the comments around Williams’ Wednesday availability at The Star, where Williams used the word “execute” 32 times in five minutes and 30 seconds, according to The Dallas Morning News. Williams tagged Bayless’ account in his response.
“@RealSkipBayless it’s extremely crazy to say you wanted players on defense to be executed. You got to do better my guy,” Williams wrote on X.
Stephen A. Smith joined Bayless on Thursday’s show. Bayless, who now makes monthly appearances on First Take, worked alongside Smith on the show from 2012 until he left ESPN in 2016.
Bayless called Sunday’s loss a collapse and said it came against the Arizona freaking Cardinals. Dallas led 24-10 early in the fourth quarter.
“Stephen A., we became a national laughingstock once again yesterday when Quinnen Williams, in a five-minute interview, used the word ‘execute’ 32 times in five minutes,” Bayless said. “I must tell you that during Sunday’s collapse against the Arizona freaking Cardinals, I wanted to execute several of my players during the game. Execute them on the field. I wanted them to be executed.”
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Arizona replaced Jacoby Brissett with Gardner Minshew II while trailing 17-3 in the third quarter. Minshew threw three touchdown passes, including the one to Michael Wilson that tied the game 30-30 with 6 seconds left in regulation. Chad Ryland missed the extra point, then kicked a 42-yard field goal to win it in overtime. Arizona outgained Dallas 467-261 and rushed for 202 yards.
Williams said the first three quarters showed the defense Dallas can be, and that the defense is the reason the Cowboys are losing games. Dallas gave up 27 points in the second half.
“I think the biggest thing is just execute,” Williams said. “We got to execute and we haven’t been executing this whole season and we executed for three quarters [against Arizona] and didn’t execute the last quarter and the film says it all. So I think the biggest thing we got to focus on is execute and continue to stack days. And at the end of the day, we got to execute.”
Dallas acquired Williams from the New York Jets at the 2025 trade deadline. The Jets drafted him third overall out of Alabama in 2019. He has 5 of the Cowboys’ 15 sacks this season, and over the last three weeks he has 4 sacks, 7 tackles for loss, and 14 tackles.
Williams said he feels he is going in the right direction with how he wants to affect the game.
“I don’t focus on that at all,” Williams explained. “I’m a part of this defense. I’m the reason why we’re giving up touchdowns in the fourth quarter. I’m the reason we haven’t been stopping the run as well, and I’ve got to do better. I take accountability first and foremost. When it comes down to executing, I try to execute at the highest level every day and not let words be just words and let it be by action.”
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The loss dropped Dallas to 3-5 and was its third in four games. The Cowboys are one game back of the New York Giants in the win column in the NFC East, with nine games left.
Williams said the Cowboys have to focus on executing at practice and in meetings this week before doing it again on Sunday. The Indianapolis Colts are 2-6.
“We’ve got to execute,” Williams said. “That’s the number one thing. No matter what they’re doing, no matter what no team in the NFL is doing, the Dallas Cowboys defense has got to execute.”
Dallas visits the Colts on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium, with kickoff set for noon CT.
