There’s going to be a showdown in Texas this week as the Dallas Cowboys take on the Houston Texans in Week 4. Dallas leads the all-time series between the two teams 4-3, but Houston has won two out of the past three meetings.
Both teams are looking to get back on track after slow starts to the season. Dallas is 1-2, coming off a frustrating loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Rio. The Texans are 0-3 and were most recently defeated by an AFC South rival, the Indianapolis Colts.
A win on Sunday would be huge for the Cowboys, since it would put them right back in the NFC East race. For that to happen, here’s a look at three keys to victory. If Dallas wins in these areas, they could wind up heading home with a record of 2-2.
Slow down the pass-rushers
Houston is a tough matchup for most teams thanks to their stellar pass rush. Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter are arguably the best defensive end duo in the entire NFL. Through three games, Anderson already has four sacks this season, while Hunter has 1.5. They also have former Cowboys EDGE Jadeveon Clowney, although his status is uncertain due to a knee injury.
Even if Clowney doesn’t play, Anderson and Hunter are more than enough to cause problems for Dak Prescott and the offense. If the Cowboys are going to win this game, Tyler Guyton and Terence Steele need to be at their absolute best. The coaching staff also needs to have creative ways of keeping them away from their quarterback. If not, things can get ugly in a hurry.
Force CJ Stroud to make mistakes
Through three games, C.J. Stroud has yet to throw an interception, which is somewhat surprising given their 0-3 record. While he typically does a good job with ball security, Stroud is prone to making mistakes when under pressure. The Cowboys haven’t been able to generate much pressure at all this year, but that has to change in Week 4.
Whether it’s getting Stroud to finally turn the ball over, or forcing some errant throws on third down, they have to keep Stroud feeling the heat and force some errors. That will fall on players such as Rashan Gary and Donovan Ezeriruaku, who need to help a secondary that’s been ravaged by injury.
Win on the ground
Houston has been one of the top rush defenses this season, giving up just 260 yards through three games. On the other side of the ball, they haven’t been very impressive on the ground. Even with the addition of David Montgomery, they enter this game with just 254 rushing yards and are averaging 3.6 yards per attempt.
That’s a good sign for a Dallas defense that has been atrocious against the run. They must capitalize on the Texans’ struggles in the run game and prevent them from chewing up the clock the way Baltimore did late in the game this past Sunday. On the other side of the ball, they have to get Javonte Williams going, as he did against the Ravens. Prescott will get yards through the air, but the run game will be key to keeping the chains moving.
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