FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys ran for 69 yards in Week 1 and 66 in Week 2. Right guard Tyler Booker said Wednesday at The Star that the offensive line has to move defenders off the ball for Javonte Williams.
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said the same day that he has not called many runs because Dallas is not blocking well enough. Williams has 71 yards on 24 carries. Left guard Tyler Smith is on injured reserve after thumb surgery, and T.J. Bass is listed as the starter in his place.
Staying on double teams is where the line has to be better, Booker said.
“I think really just getting movement off the ball,” Booker said. “We gotta move people off the ball in order to have a successful run game. Javonte’s a very talented back, but he can only do what we give him. So we just gotta do a much better job of staying on double teams, really expecting the movement, being prepared for movement, and then ultimately just moving guys off the ball.”
“Because Javonte is a very talented guy, we wanna see him have a great game,” Booker continued. “So that’s our focus. I mean, it’s a mix of a bunch of things. It’s pad level, hand placement, just making sure our eyes are in the right spot.”
Dallas drafted Booker out of Alabama with the No. 12 overall pick in 2025. He started all 14 games he played as a rookie and made the PFWA All-Rookie Team.
Tyler Booker On Dallas Cowboys Offense Avoiding A Lull
Dak Prescott completed 26-of-31 passes for 279 yards and 4 touchdowns against Washington on Sunday. In the opener, the Cowboys had the ball only twice in the second half. Booker said the offense has to treat every drive like it could be the last one.
“So we just gotta avoid that little lull that you just mentioned,” Booker explained. “We got to treat every drive as its own individual game, essentially. It’s like, okay, this might be our last time to touch the ball this whole game, even though it’s not. We have full trust and confidence within our defense, but we just have to have that mindset of, okay, we’re gonna score on this drive, we’re gonna score every drive, because we have the talent.”
“We have the coaches,” Booker added. “We have the scheme in order to do so. So it’s just up to us to go out there and execute.”
Tyler Booker On Breaking Down Dallas Cowboys Team
Booker broke the team down before Sunday’s game. In his second season, he was named to the Cowboys’ leadership council, he told KLTV in August. He was a captain at IMG Academy and at Alabama.
“I take a lot of pride in that,” Booker said. “I feel like God has blessed me with the ability to lead and just knowing what to say and when to say it. So I just see that as a thing that I can do to help my team win, help motivate my brothers, and whatever I can do to help my team win, I’m gonna do. So it’s just another thing that I can do.”
Booker does not script the breakdowns.
“Whatever comes out comes out,” Booker said. “I wanna be natural and authentic within everything that I do.”
His longest flight before Rio was from Tampa, Florida, to Eugene, Oregon, for official visits in high school, Booker said. He plans to sleep through most of Thursday night’s trip.
“Yeah, definitely gonna find a couple movies I’ve been waiting to watch,” Booker said. “I’ll probably check those out, but we are flying through the night, so hopefully I’ll just sleep through most of it.”
“Harlem Nights, for sure,” Booker added. “That’s my… no, I’ve seen it before. I’ve seen it before. I was going to start off with a good movie. That’s my favorite movie of all time, so yeah, definitely.”
The Cowboys play the Baltimore Ravens at 3:25 p.m. CT Sunday at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
