ARLINGTON, Texas — Sam Williams sacked Zach Wilson on third down with 14:02 left Friday night and forced a punt. The Dallas Cowboys tied the game on the next drive.
Dallas lost to the New Orleans Saints 27-24 at AT&T Stadium. Rosters cut to 53 players at 5 p.m. CT Sunday.
Williams spoke at his locker afterward.
“I think I did pretty good. A lot of people emphasize, like, I’m in a position where I’m interviewing for all 31 other teams also,” Williams said. “So I had to basically show that last season wasn’t the defining aspect of Sam, you know? So we’ll see what happens.”
Sam Williams’ Sack Sets Up The Tying Drive
The sack came on the possession after Jordan Hudson‘s 26-yard touchdown catch cut the New Orleans lead to 24-16. Williams got to Wilson at the New Orleans 30 on third-and-5, and the Saints punted after three plays and minus-2 yards. Dallas took the ball at its own 33 and went 67 yards in 12 plays to tie it at 24.
Williams finished with 6 combined tackles, 3 of them solo, along with the sack, a tackle for loss, and 2 quarterback hits. He tied for the Cowboys’ lead in tackles. Dallas had 2 sacks as a team and 4 quarterback hits.
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer met with reporters afterward.
“The defense, I thought, really stepped up in the second half. The pass rush got a lot better,” Schottenheimer said. “Sam Williams, I thought, did a really nice job. And the coverage aspect of it was pretty good. And then we kind of fed off that.”
New Orleans ran for 119 yards in the first half and 50 in the second. Williams was in on two tackles before halftime. Both came on Audric Estimé catches. He stopped CJ Donaldson after 1 yard at the Dallas 44 with 3:49 left. He hit Wilson on the next snap.
Von Miller, Rashan Gary, And The Dallas Cowboys Edge Room
Von Miller and Rashan Gary did not play Friday. Neither did Donovan Ezeiruaku or DeMarvion Overshown.
Gary came over from Green Bay in March, for a 2027 fourth-round pick. He went 12th overall in 2019 and has 46.5 career sacks. He made his first Pro Bowl in 2024. His base salaries are $18 million in 2026 and $21 million in 2027, none of it guaranteed. Miller agreed to a one-year contract this month. Ezeiruaku went 44th overall in 2025 and won the Ted Hendricks Award as a senior at Boston College. He had 2 sacks in 17 games as a rookie.
Dallas hired Christian Parker as defensive coordinator in January. Parker moved Marist Liufau from inside linebacker to the edge this offseason. Liufau fractured his forearm in the first quarter Friday.
A reporter followed up.
“There’s really no pitch. They want me, they want me. If they don’t, they don’t,” Williams said. “Because I just leave it in God’s hands. I got a prayer mother, and she tells me to worry less and work more. So that’s what I do.”
Two Years After Knee Surgery
Dallas took Williams 56th overall in 2022 out of Ole Miss, where he set a school record with 12.5 sacks as a senior. He played 15 games as a rookie and had 4.0 sacks, 19 tackles, and a team-leading 7 tackles for loss. He tore his ACL in training camp before the 2024 season and missed the year.
Through four seasons, he has 85 total tackles, 9.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries, and 3 pass deflections.
Williams explained: “That I’m back, you know? After, what, two years now of my surgery, I feel ready. Ready to compete at a high level and take charge, I guess.”
Williams continued: “Of course I know I can help this team. The way I practice, the way I come out every day and attack, and just the way I revamp my mindset. I learned about alter egos recently in a team meeting. So every day before practice, before I step on the field, I write down my alter ego.”
Dallas opens at the New York Giants on Sept. 13. Kickoff is 7:20 p.m. CT on NBC. Practice squads are due by noon CT Monday.
