FRISCO, Texas – When it comes to listing out the weapons on this Cowboys offense, it usually starts with short names such as Dak, Zeke or Dez.
The second wave includes names like Beasley and Witten and maybe even McFadden now.
But if we're talking playoffs, you can't forget about Terrance Williams. In fact, Williams is the only offensive player on the Cowboys roster to have scored a postseason touchdown – and he has three of them.
This is the time of year teams need all of their weapons to shine, and no one has shined brighter for the Cowboys in the playoffs than Williams, who scored a game-winning TD against the Lions in the 2014 NFC wild-card round.
While that might be surprising to some, the quarterback who has watched his career progression isn't one of them.
Williams, the recipient of Romo's first and only touchdown throw of the season last Sunday in Philly, might not have the stats to stake claim as a superior receiver in this league. But Romo begs to differ.
"Terrance is probably one of the most underrated, if not the most underrated receiver in the NFL," Romo said. "His growth, from when we got here to where he's out now, you can't really say how much he's improved without going into great detail. He's one of the better receivers in the National Football League. He's really a great player."
Strong words from Romo, who has been there for every one of Williams' steps during his NFL journey. Drafted in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft, Williams has been the Cowboys' No. 2 receiver opposite of Dez Bryant for most of his career. But he often takes a backseat to other targets such as Cole Beasley and Jason Witten.
This year, Williams ranked fourth on the team in receptions with 44, behind Beasley (75), Witten (69) and Bryant (50). He did have four touchdown catches, including three in the final six games of the regular season.
"I really don't worry about all that stuff," Williams said about statistics. "I just try to be prepared, run the routes, get open and be there for my quarterback. When my number is called, I try to stay ready."
While he's not worrying about the stats, his numbers will be evaluated rather closely when the time comes for his next contract. Playing the final season of his four-year contract, Williams will be an unrestricted free agent in the spring.
The Cowboys have not publicly discussed the subject of possibly re-signing Williams, or any of their potential free agents for that matter. Another player in that group is Brice Butler, the Cowboys' No. 3 receiver who had 16 catches for 219 yards with a 13.7 average per catch (Williams averaged 13.5) and three touchdowns.
But stats can be a bit misleading when it comes to judging a player such as Williams.
"Terrance just comes to work every day with the right attitude," head coach Jason Garrett said. "He works extremely hard to get better. And I think you see that with his production. He's a great route-runner. He catches the ball. And he's one of the better blocking receivers we've had."
While all receivers want to make the highlight-reel catches, Williams admits blocking is something he takes extra pride in.
"It's a physical game and you have to be physical at all times," he said. "We run the ball a lot and sometimes you can turn a good play into a big play if you do your job blocking."
Never was that more of an example than against Pittsburgh back in mid-November. Williams was downfield blocking for Ezekiel Elliott on his 83-yard touchdown, which was the longest play from scrimmage for the Cowboys in 2016.
As the Cowboys enter the playoffs, they're likely going to need all of their weapons to step up, especially with a couple of rookies leading the way. One guy who knows a thing or two about postseason production would be Williams, who scored two touchdowns in the Cowboys' last playoff win. The game-winning TD catch from Romo to beat the Lions in the 2014 wild-card round will go down as one of the more dramatic plays in franchise postseason history.
The following week in Green Bay, Williams scored a second-quarter touchdown, giving him three postseason touchdowns.
"We've got a lot of guys who can make plays," Williams said. "But when it's my turn, I have to be ready to take advantage of it."
