The Dallas Cowboys head into Week 4 looking to shake off a discouraging loss to the Baltimore Ravens and get back on track against an in-state opponent that has been stuck in neutral. On the road against the Houston Texans, Dallas gets a team that is 0-3 despite the recent run of double-digit wins and playoff trips over the past three seasons.
That record makes Houston look vulnerable, but not harmless. The Texans are desperate now, and that usually makes for a tricky road assignment.
Still, a win would push the Cowboys to 2-2 and keep them in the NFC East mix. For that to happen, a few things have to break right.
One of the biggest swings in the game could come from Dallas finally getting some production off the edge. Donovan Ezeiruaku has a matchup worth watching against Aireontae Ersery, who owns a 75.8 grade in pass protection from PFF.
That number ranks 17th at the position, but Ersery has still given up 11 pressures and three sacks. With C.J.
Stroud already taking 10 sacks through three games, this is the spot where Ezeiruaku is projected to pop. The bold call here is two sacks, including one that forces a fumble.
That is a big ask, especially with Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter on the other sideline. But Dallas has done a solid job keeping Dak Prescott upright.
Tyler Guyton has been trending up, Terence Steele remains a concern, and Prescott has been sacked only three times this season. In this projection, that protection holds again, and Prescott gets through the game without being sacked at all.
Another place where the Cowboys could make a difference is in the secondary, where DaRon Bland is due for a play. He has only one interception since his breakout 2023 season, when he picked off five passes, and Stroud has yet to throw one this year.
The prediction here is simple: something gives, and Bland comes away with his first interception of the season. With Dallas thin in the back end, he is the veteran who has to steady things, and this would be the kind of play that reminds everyone why he earned that extension one year ago.
George Pickens is also trending toward a bigger day. His output has climbed every week so far, starting with three catches for 28 yards in Week 1, then six receptions for 40 yards in Week 2, and seven catches for 82 yards against Baltimore in Week 3.
Against a Houston defense that has been unusually soft against the pass and has allowed 716 yards, 26th in the league, the next step is a 100-yard game. That would be his first of the season and another sign that his role in the offense is growing fast.
In Other News...
Texans Defense Just Took A Hit Houston Could Struggle To Replace
The Texans defense has already had to adjust after losing defensive tackle Mario Edwards Jr. for the rest of the season with a torn ACL. Edwards had made an early impact in the front, posting six tackles and a sack over the first three games, so Houston now has to reshuffle a part of the rotation that was beginning to find some stability.
In response, the team moved defensive end Chris Braswell up to the active roster and brought defensive tackle Aaron Graves onto the practice squad. It is a practical bit of roster management, but it also underscores how much the Texans may need from the next men up if they want to keep the interior of their defense from slipping after one of its more productive early contributors went down. [Read more 🡒]
Texans 0-3 Start Has Turned Into A Bigger Blame Fight
The Texans 0-3 start has quickly become more than a bad opening stretch. It has turned into an internal blame conversation, with the focus landing on three of the biggest decision-makers in the building: general manager Nick Caserio, head coach DeMeco Ryans and offensive coordinator Nick Caley. Each has a different piece of the puzzle, and each is being judged against a team that expected a steadier beginning.
Caserio is under scrutiny for the state of the offensive line, Ryans for the coaching decisions and broader organizational authority that come with his job, and Caley for how the offense has looked under his direction. The criticism is not evenly spread, but the frustration is real enough to raise the question of how much of this start is a roster problem, how much is a coaching problem, and where the Texans should look first if they want to stop the slide. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Rookie Could Return To A Much Bigger Role Than Expected
Kayden McDonalds path back into the Texans lineup may get more interesting than it looked when he first landed on short-term injured reserve with an ankle injury. Houston had been preparing to wait out the rookie defensive tackles absence, with an eye toward getting him back after Week 4, but the depth chart up front has changed in a way that could matter for him right away.
Mario Edwards Jr.s season-ending ACL injury thins out the defensive tackle rotation and leaves Houston with less margin for error at a spot that was already not overflowing with options. When McDonald is cleared to return, the Texans may have a tougher decision on their hands than simply easing him back in, because the snaps could be there sooner and in greater volume than anyone anticipated. [Read more 🡒]