Quinnen Williams has four Pro Bowls, an All-Pro nod, and a penchant for keeping offensive coordinators awake at night. But the one thing the veteran defensive tackle has never experienced is playoff football; the New York Jets never got him there. At Dallas, quarterback Dak Prescott now has Williams’ back.

“I told him, ‘I’ll get you to the playoffs, but I need you to go help us win it,’” Dak told reporters on June 18.

When the Cowboys traded for Williams last November, Dak called himself “fu***** pumped.” Despite playing in a unit that allowed the most points in the league (30.1 points per game), Williams had given Dak enough reasons to be confident. In just seven games with a new defense, Williams logged 1.5 sacks, 21 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and nine QB hits.

Williams held PFF’s No. 1 rank as a run defender among interior defensive linemen. He came to Dallas having earned a 90.8 run-stopping grade, too. Dallas knew exactly what they were buying into, and now expect even more from him.

“The Cowboys are centering their defensive plan around his presence,” writes Cowboys Wire’s K. D. Drummond. “New defensive coordinator Christian Parker is transitioning the team to a 3-4 defense where Williams will man the 3T spot as the focal defender among the front. With an entire offseason to plan around his commanding double teams, it will be an exciting new chapter for the recently lackluster Cowboys’ defense.”

Christian Parker’s leadership has brought a new culture and energy to the team. The new defensive coordinator said yesterday that communication on the defense was going to see a big change under him. But the offense has also had a chance to get better during practice, simply because he likes to makes things fiery between the offense and defense.

“You can just tell from CP’s reactions and mannerisms that he’s a competitor,” Prescott added. “He’s gonna let you know when they get the best of the player.

“He’s gonna let you know, and in 7-on-7, when he thinks that would have been a sack,” Prescott continued. “It creates for a great, great environment, and makes it a little edgy. The competition is at an all-time high, and people are taking pride in what they do.”

The competition being referred to is already showing up at the mandatory minicamp. The Cowboys’ crown jewel on defense, former Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, was seen going all-out trying to stop star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb while Dak lofted him high passes. Per Hoyt, Downs “nearly got a hand on it.”

Even head coach Brian Schottenheimer has bought into this new atmosphere.

“I would say the s*** talking from Christian Parker is a little different than what we had last year,” Schotty said. “And so the guys feed off of it, in a good way, and begin to figure out his personality. It’s been fun to watch him stir up CeeDee, George, and Dak, and I think we are in a really good spot.”

Dak Prescott has promised Quinnen Williams a trip to the playoffs, and Williams’ increased role will help them get closer to that goal. Christian Parker has brought the edge they lacked last season, and the culture shift is already visible in Frisco. With everything that’s happening in Dallas this offseason, is it too soon to ask ‘How ‘bout them Cowboys?’