After losing in upset fashion to the Jacoby Brissett-led Arizona Cardinals on Monday night to fall to 3-5-1, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones obviously needed to change the narrative. So he did, by trading for All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams from the Jets (in exchange for Mazi Smith, a 2026 first-rounder, and a 2027 second-rounder), and Bengals LB Logan Wilson (in exchange for a 2026 seventh-rounder).
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Are Cowboys fans impressed? Maybe, but someone who definitely is not impressed by those moves is Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson. The moves were clearly made to bolster a Dallas defense that is allowing 30.8 points a game (second-most) and 397.4 yards a game (second-most).
However, as far as Ochocinco is concerned, “them goddamn trades don’t do nothin.” The former Bengals standout characterized those two additions of Williams and Wilson as “nothin’ but decoration,” claiming it was all about Jones getting his team back at the top of the news cycle.
“That was Jerry [Jones] just wanting to be part of the circus. Everybody else is making moves? Well, let me make some moves too. Does it improve my defense in any way? No!” Johnson said on Nightcap.
Johnson pointed out that Wilson is coming from the only defensive unit in the league that is worse than Dallas. The Bengals are bottom of the NFL in both scoring and total defense. Not to mention that Wilson recently lost his starting job and has been playing a lot more special teams than defense over the last three weeks.
“No disrespect to Logan Wilson, but you’re coming from a Bengals team that was ranked 32nd, and going to a Cowboys team that’s ranked 31st! You wasn’t playing at the Bengals, but you’re going to go to the goddamn Cowboys and make a goddamn difference? The likelihood of that happening, probably absolutely goddamn not!” Ocho added.
As the flamboyant Ochocinco pointed out, “we’re in a passing league,” so Jones’ preoccupation with improving his run defense is misguided. Even with Kenny Clark, the Cowboys are fielding the fourth-worst run defense in the league—but they also have the third-worst passing defense.
So, it will take a lot more than two new players to pull them out of that hole. That’s why Ochocinco believes QB Dak Prescott needs to take matters into his own hands.
“If I’m Dak, I’m calling a players only meeting, only for the offense. And I’m gonna let ’em know, ‘In order for us to win, in order for us to compete, week in, week out, we have to raise our level of play… We don’t have the type of defense where we can overcome turnovers in games. I need ya’ll boys locked in. We 3-5 with a seven percent chance to make the playoffs.'”
Dallas’ offense has been nearly as good as their defense has been bad. But not quite. The only four games Dallas hasn’t lost have been the ones where they have scored 37+ points, including three 40-burgers. That’s the kind of level they will need to hit consistently if they’re going to make good on that seven percent chance of making the postseason.
