The Cowboys' defense finally gave owner Jerry Jones something to smile about Monday night.
Quinnen Williams finally made his highly anticipated debut two weeks after the trade from New York Jets. Early in the second quarter, he broke through the Raiders' front-seven and sacked Geno Smith for an eight-yard loss.
The sequence that followed became instant social media gold for the NFL community.
Jerry Jones couldn't hide his smile as Williams delivered
After Williams' trade, the Cowboys were on a bye week, which just increased the speculation surrounding his Cowboys debut. The anticipation turned to reality as he played and made sure the franchise owner was pleased.
After taking down Smith, Williams broke into a simple dance step celebration. It was nothing flashy, just funny enough to catch everyone's attention. But the absolute moment came from the owner's suite.
ESPN cameras found Jerry Jones smiling while holding, likely, a magazine and looking super pleased like a kid on Christmas.
Quinnen Williams gets his first sack as a Cowboy 💪
— NFL (@NFL) November 18, 2025
DALvsLV on ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/CaO2otSVXG
After months of criticism for shipping Micah Parsons to Green Bay, the 83-year-old owner finally had his validation moment. Williams’ sack was just his second of the 2025 season and his first since Week 1 with the Jets in September.
The former All-Pro racked up 1.5 sacks and four quarterback hits by halftime alone. This single game production already surpassed everything he'd done with the Jets this season.
Cowboys' defensive line dominated all night, which was a dream for Dallas Nation weeks before, holding Raiders rookie Ashton Jeanty to just seven yards on six carries while generating constant pressure up front.
Jones had faced heavy criticism from fans and experts before the Williams trade, as the team had been delaying making an urgent move. Obviously, the moment played out poorly, but the franchise got its much-needed defensive man.
More NFL news:
- Cowboys honor Marshawn Kneeland with T-shirts, locker ahead of and after Raiders game
- Giants RB Cam Skattebo gets into brawl on WWE Monday Night Raw
- NFL issues season-altering punishment for Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase after spitting on Jalen Ramsey
- New York Jets make critical decision on Justin Fields' role
- Eagles get troubling injury update on right tackle Lane Johnson