Time is running out for Cowboys

Wide receiver Roy Williams has yet to become a vital part of the Dallas offense.

IRVING, Texas (AP) — In his nine games with the Dallas Cowboys, Roy Williams has 194 yards receiving.

The last time he played in Philadelphia, he had 204 yards receiving.

So maybe a return to Philadelphia is just what Williams needs to finally become a vital part of the Dallas offense.

Acquired at the trade deadline to draw coverage from Terrell Owens, Williams has yet to catch more than three passes in a game. He has only 14 receptions over the six games he’s played with Tony Romo.

Time is running out for Williams and Romo to start clicking. If the Cowboys lose to the Eagles on Sunday, their season is over.

The flip side is that a win would send Dallas into a first-round playoff game, which means another week of practicing together. Each win after that means more practice time and, of course, a chance to win the Super Bowl — something Williams could hardly imagine while playing his first four seasons in Detroit. Those teams never had a winning record, much less made the playoffs.

“I’ve always wanted to be on a team that just streaks, you know, that just hits it,” Williams said. “I hope that we can do that. All we need is just five wins in a row. ... One of my goals also is to be the first team in the [Obama] White House.”

A lifelong Texan, getting traded to Dallas in October was a best-case scenario for Williams, made even better by also getting a $45 million, five-year contract extension. Then he ran out of good news.

Williams didn’t catch a pass in his first game, then caught only three over the next two weeks. Romo missed all those games with a broken pinkie on his throwing hand. Once he returned, everyone figured the tandem would get the Cowboys offense cranked up again.

Six games later, everyone is still waiting. Williams hasn’t even caught a touchdown from Romo; his lone one for Dallas came from Brad Johnson.

“We’re getting more comfortable every week,” Romo said. “He does some things a little different than the other receivers. He does some things really well, so we’re trying to get a bead on it.”

Williams is doing his best to remain patient — and polite. At the start of an interview this week, he literally bit his lip to prevent from answering questions about his role in the offense. When he did talk, he kept saying, “Merry Christmas to everybody.”

Asked how he’s adopted that approach, Williams finally opened up.

“My mom told me God has a plan for me. The pastor told me the same thing,” he said, the fact he needed such counsel indicating how left out he feels.

The more Williams talked, the more his frustration and disappointment came out, “because I know I am a player in this league.”