The Cowboys are going to be looking to regroup after the disastrous last-second loss to the Ravens last Sunday that has them at 1-2 on the young season. It won't be easy as they head down I-45 South to take on their intrastate rival Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium.
The Texans are sitting at a surprising 0-3 and are in absolute desperation mode. If they fall to 0-4, their odds of making the playoffs will be minuscule.
They will look to unleash a talented and aggressive defense littered with recent first-and second-round draft picks, including edge rushers Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, along with defensive backs Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter.
Brian Schottenheimer and Dak Prescott will need to be on point to move the ball consistently. The defense will also have to slow down the gifted but sometimes inconsistent quarterback CJ Stroud. He will look to get the ball to All-Pro wideout Nico Collins and hand it off to hard-nosed runners David Montgomery and Woody Marks.
This is a team that relies on its defense to keep it in games. They are not going to unleash a high-powered offense, but Stroud, Collins, and Montgomery are talented enough to capitalize on a suspect defense.
3 things the Cowboys must do to even their record at 2-2
1. Contain two of the best pass rushers in the league: Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter
Anderson Jr. is coming off a 12-sack and three-forced-fumble season. In his fourth year out of Alabama, he has already established himself as one of the league's most disruptive rushers. He has tremendous get-off speed to go with exceptional length and bend. Anderson has some of the longest arms you will see on a human being, and he uses them very effectively.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the line is Hunter, who is coming off an impressive 15- sack, three-forced-fumble season of his own.
On obvious passing downs, he is racing against Anderson to get to the QB. Dak is going to need to sense the pressure they will bring. He has to be willing to step up in the pocket and identify open receivers underneath because CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens may be blanketed by Stingley Jr. and Lassiter on the outside.
2. Take advantage of an underachieving Texans' secondary
The Texans are fifth-best against the run through three games, so Javonte Williams and the rushing attack will be hard-pressed to move the ball on the ground. Surprisingly, the Texans' secondary has been vulnerable so far this season. They give up 238.7 yards through the air, which ranks 26th in the league.
Lassiter, a third-year player out of Georgia, is a physical DB, but has been uncharacteristically inconsistent in downfield coverage.
Schottenheimer will have both Lamb and Pickens work on Lassiter to see if he is still struggling to locate the ball. It would be wise to test Lassiter early and often because Stingley Jr. on the other side is like a cheap suit.
3. Get pressure on CJ Stroud and force him into check-downs and bad decisions
Like most QBs in the NFL, Stroud has the ability to pick apart a secondary if he has time. If you get pressure on him, his QBR drops way down to 88.0, good for 22nd in the league. Stroud is an average scrambler who can run if he has to, but for the first time this season, the Cowboys' front seven will be dealing with a pocket passer.
This means that guys like Donovan Ezeiruaku, Rashan Gary, and others will have to be better at getting to the QB. Dallas has a meager two sacks through three games. That ranks 30th in the league.
Someone is going to have to emerge as a legitimate pass rusher if this team is going to do anything in 2026. They have dealt with three running QBs so far, but Stroud is a drop-back passer they can corral. Houston has allowed 10 sacks in three games and ranks 30th in pass protection, so something has got to give.
If he and Collins are able to get on the same page early, then it will open up more running lanes for Montgomery and Marks. Both backs are also capable pass-catchers.
Add us as a preferred source on Google