The Dallas Cowboys got the result they needed against the Houston Texans, but the win didn’t erase a problem that’s starting to show up in plain sight. Dallas beat Houston 34-30, and while Dak Prescott guided the offense to victory, the bigger takeaway is that the Cowboys still have a cleanup job to do if they want this thing to hold together.
The issue isn’t loud. It’s not the kind of flaw that jumps off the screen every drive. But it’s there, and it’s costly.
In an ESPN look at Week 4, Todd Archer flagged field goal protection as one of the Cowboys’ biggest concerns moving forward. As he put it, "The Cowboys must figure out a lot of things, but their field goal protection is near the top of the list."
The reason is hard to ignore. Archer pointed out that "for the second straight game, Brandon Aubrey had a long field goal attempt blocked.
Last week in Rio, it was a 59-yard attempt from his left side. On Sunday, it was a 62-yard try from his right."
That kind of repeat failure is a problem Dallas can’t shrug off. Archer also noted that the last time the Cowboys had field goal attempts blocked in back-to-back games was in 1991.
"Those Cowboys, however, won both games. These Cowboys split them," he adds.
For a team trying to stack wins and keep its season pointed in the right direction, giving away points on special teams is a dangerous habit. In the NFL, field goals can swing games in a hurry, and Dallas can’t afford to keep leaving them on the table.
In Other News...
Former Texans RB Joe Mixon Suddenly Faces A Troubling Reality
Joe Mixons next stop hit an early snag this week when the Seahawks passed on adding the former Texans running back to their practice squad after he went through a physical. Seattle had room to explore the move after placing another back on injured reserve, but the workout did not lead to a deal, leaving one of Houstons recent backs still searching for a landing spot.
Mixon is now a free agent, a status that carries extra weight after a foot injury last season complicated his availability. For the Texans, it is another reminder of how quickly the running back market can shift, even for a player with his kind of track record, and how uncertain the path can be once a team decides to keep looking elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Will Anderson Jr. Puts Texans Defense On Notice After Another Collapse
Will Anderson Jr. did not try to soften the latest letdown after Houstons loss to Dallas, instead turning the focus squarely onto a defense that again came up short when the game was there to be finished. The offense did its part, with C.J. Stroud and company giving the Texans enough to work with, but the postgame message from Anderson was clear: a strong showing on one side of the ball does not matter if the defense cannot close.
The Texans are still searching for their first win at 0-4, and the frustration is growing because this was not an isolated slip. Houston has now watched late leads slip away in consecutive games, and Anderson stressed the need for accountability from the unit charged with protecting them. For a team trying to build around a young quarterback and a promising defensive core, the margin for these missed opportunities is getting thinner by the week. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Fans Suddenly Face A Real DeMeco Ryans Debate
The Texans 0-4 start has pushed the conversation in Houston beyond the standings and straight into bigger questions about DeMeco Ryans future. Around the league, the instinct in moments like this is to wonder how hot a coachs seat has become, but ESPNs Dan Graziano is arguing that Ryans does not belong in that bucket, even with the losses piling up.
Graziano points to what Ryans has already done in Houston, including playoff appearances, and notes that he still has the kind of backing that matters most inside a building: from the fans and from ownership. In his view, one rough season should not override the larger body of work, which leaves the Texans in an awkward place, trying to steady the present while the outside debate keeps inching toward a question the organization does not seem eager to answer. [Read more 🡒]