Quinnen Williams' one-word fix for a Cowboys defense ranked last in yards

Asked on Wednesday what is wrong with the Cowboys' defense, Quinnen Williams gave one answer in many forms. The defensive tackle used some version of the word "execute" 32 times in an interview that ran a little over five minutes, ESPN's Todd Archer counted.

The numbers behind the question are stark. Through eight games Dallas ranks 32nd, last in the league, in total yards allowed (385.4 a game), in rushing yards allowed (152.8) and on third down, where opponents convert 51.4% of the time. It is 27th in points allowed, at 26.6 a game, according to ESPN.

Three good quarters, one bad one

Williams' own reading was that Dallas executed for three quarters against Arizona and not in the fourth, and the box score agrees. The Cardinals had 10 points through three quarters and 20 in the fourth, and they finished with 202 rushing yards; Tyler Allgeier, their only healthy running back, ran for 147 of them, nearly all after halftime, including a 63-yard touchdown. Arizona's backup quarterback, Gardner Minshew, drove 80 yards in the final 65 seconds to tie the game, and the Cardinals won in overtime.

Defensive tackle Kenny Clark called the loss unacceptable, and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown said the team was tired of learning the same lesson, Archer reported after the game. The talent is not in question, he noted: the defense includes Williams, among the highest-paid defensive tackles in the league, and former Pro Bowlers Clark, Rashan Gary and DaRon Bland.

Williams himself has been productive. He has four sacks in the last three games, five on the season by ESPN's count, including two against Arizona. He said the improvement was the direction he wanted to go and the job now was to keep it up. Coach Brian Schottenheimer had used the same word earlier in the day, saying the fix for both sides of the ball comes down to execution.

Jerry Jones, speaking on 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday, described the defense as a rebuild under first-time coordinator Christian Parker, after turnover in free agency and the draft, and said the plan relies on the offense carrying the team while the defense develops, Archer wrote on Friday. The offense has not held up its end either: Dallas is scoring about the same as last season, 27.4 points a game, on about 50 fewer yards.

Sunday's test

Indianapolis is 2-6 and has traded two of its best players, but it still has Jonathan Taylor, eighth in the league with 610 rushing yards and tied for third with eight rushing touchdowns, per the AP. Taylor had a season-low eight carries in last week's 42-7 loss at Jacksonville and has spent the week in trade rumors. Quarterback Daniel Jones has thrown nine interceptions and lost four fumbles, an opening for a Dallas defense that is in the bottom five in takeaways.

Kickoff is 1 p.m. ET Sunday on Fox. Prices are on the game page, and the schedule is on the team page.