Jerry Jones' acquisition of Roy Williams last October is the worst trade he's ever made. Nothing else is even close.

Understand, this isn't about Williams' effort or his attitude. He's playing hard – just watch him block – and he's created far fewer distractions than T.O. But this is a bottom-line business.

Williams' bottom line? He's been awful.

And it doesn't matter whether you blame Williams, Jason Garrett or Tony Romo.

In the 13 games Williams has played with Dallas, he has 30 catches for 412 yards and two touchdowns. He has four catches of 25 yards or more, and has yet to record a 100-yard game.

He's only had two games with more than 51 yards receiving.

Ridiculous.

More important, he has caught only 30 of the 67 passes Romo has thrown to him.

That's not much production for a receiver who cost draft picks in the first, third and sixth rounds and signed a six-year, $45 million contract that included a $9 million signing bonus.

Jerry expected a game-breaker. Or at least a player who would be considered one of the better receivers in the league.

But it hasn't happened. And you can't possibly have any confidence it will.

The confounding part is why Williams can't get the ball. He's not Randy Moss, but he's better than the puny numbers he's compiled since Dallas acquired him.

Isn't he?

After all, he worked harder than he's ever worked this off-season, while spending quite a bit of time running routes with Romo.

Maybe Romo isn't confident enough to throw Williams the ball when he's covered. Perhaps the blame lies with Garrett, who hasn't designed enough plays to get Williams the ball.

No one has any answers, which makes the situation all the more frustrating.

Q:   I do not and never did believe Wade Phillips was the right fit for the Cowboys. As bad as Jerry wants to win, why did he not see Wade's history? He is a good coordinator but a terrible head coach. I would appreciate your thoughts. Having been a fan since the Cowboys were born, this is very frustrating.

Don Easterwood, Jr., Shreveport, La.

TAYLOR:  Actually, it's pretty easy to see why Jerry hired Wade Phillips. First, he the opposite of Bill Parcells, whose demanding style had worn thin with the players – as it always does after about four seasons. Second, he wanted a coach with intimate knowledge of the 3-4, since Parcells had spent the previous four seasons installing that defensive scheme.

That's why he picked Phillips over Norv Turner. Jerry absolutely knew what he was getting. He went out and hand-picked it.

Q:   Have you noticed the play of Mike Jenkins lately? He's really come on after his promotion to the starting lineup. He's not playing mistake-free ball, but his play on the ball and his tackling are the best in the secondary. Your thoughts?

Wallace Bolden

TAYLOR:  I like Jenkins because he's making plays. You can live with a guy getting beat if he's also making plays. What you don't want is a guy who gets beat and rarely makes plays. He's being aggressive and he's playing with confidence. He doesn't always play with great technique, and a mental error led to the Chiefs scoring on their final possession, but you can't be scared and play cornerback in the NFL.

Q:   I know a lot of people are being blown away by Miles Austin and say he should be starting. If you really look at it, though, a lot of it was yards after the catch (terrible, terrible tackling) and he also dropped two passes in the end zone. On the other hand, he made a tough over-the-middle grab on third down and managed to take away a ball from the Chiefs cornerback on his 34-yard gain. Do you think Austin should be starting or just more involved?

Martin Long

TAYLOR:  I'm not sure it matters, because his playing time is going to get significantly increased either way. I don't think it's a coincidence that he averages 40.8 yards for his seven career touchdown passes. He's the best big-play threat among the Cowboys' receivers, and they need him on the field because this offense has struggled to score, even though it's gaining a lot of yards.

Q: Is there a wide receiver out there worth trying to trade for?

Terrence Hunley

TAYLOR:  No. Didn't the Cowboys try that last year? It hasn't worked. Just like trading for Joey Galloway didn't work.

Q:   Does the fact that grown men such as Tony Romo, wear a baseball cap backward say anything about their attitude toward organization and conformity? Following a fad doesn't always create trust in judgment when training and discipline are needed ingredients during decisive moments.

Ralph A. Hunt

TAYLOR:  You aren't the first person to mention this. Several people have mentioned the fact Romo wears his baseball cap backward. I understand your points – really, I do – but it's just the silliest thing I've ever heard. Troy Aikman wore his cap backward at practice all the time. He wore it backward every afternoon on his daily three-mile jog. It's just not that serious. Romo wore his cap backward in 2006 and 2007, when he was among the best quarterbacks in the league. It doesn't matter any more than if his hair dipped below his collar, or if he had a beard down to his chest. Performance is what matters. Nothing else.

Q: Is it time to scrap the two-tight end set and go with more three-wide receiver looks?

Tommy Bitner, Springdale, Ark.

TAYLOR:  I don't think the problem is the two-tight end offense. That's a big reason the running game has been so good this season. Formations with three receivers are fine, but your players still have to perform. Ultimately, the Cowboys want to run the ball. It's easier to do that with two tight ends than with three receivers.

Q:   With Allen Rossum, are we FINALLY ready to pose a threat in the return game?

Mark Davis

TAYLOR:  I don't really know. I do know Rossum will catch the ball instead of letting it hit the ground and roll 20 yards. I know he will not muff punts. If he does that, he'll be fine. Field position is huge. It's not about returns for touchdowns and big plays. It's about making the plays you're supposed to make. No more, no less.

Q:   It appears the Cowboys have the physical skills to be a top team, but not the mental ones. We already know the present coaches and general manager aren't capable of changing the team for the better. The only possibility for improvement is the players taking it upon themselves to improve week-to-week (like the 1970-71 teams did).

Since you know the team, is there any possibility of this happening?

Danny Hoffman, Israel

TAYLOR:  Who knows? This team is inconsistent. What they need is a string of two or three wins in a row to give them inspiration and confidence. You can do a lot with those two intangibles. That's why the Atlanta game is so important. There's a huge difference between 4-2 and 3-3. If the Cowboys want to be taken seriously, they need a win over a quality opponent like Atlanta.

Q:   Is it me or does it seem Keith Brooking is emerging as a real leader on defense? He seems to be making plays consistently and is always around the ball, not to mention his comments to the media about being a team. I really like that acquisition. Thoughts?

John R. Harrell, Austin

TAYLOR:  Brooking has been fabulous. Usually when a team signs a 12-year veteran, the move gets scrutinized because you wonder whether the player has anything left. It's always a valid question because pro football is a young man's game. But Brooking has been playing like a madman. He's all over the field. He's playing three downs quite a bit, and he's been everything the Cowboys hoped he would be when they signed him.

Q:   Do you think Jerry Jones is just afraid to pull the trigger in his old age?

David Hunter, Vienna, Austria

TAYLOR:  You would't cut T.O. if you were afraid to pull the trigger. Jerry has never believed firing a coach in the middle of the season is a good idea. History shows moves like that normally don't work. If the Cowboys don't make the playoffs and win a game, I'm sure he'll make a change.