Houston Texans Vs. Dallas Cowboys: What To Look For

The Houston Texans continue to cruise along as they were able to take charge and defeat the Buffalo Bills this past Sunday.

The Texans were struggling out of the gate all the way to the half but something happened, a fire was lit under their rears and they almost immediately took control.

Take a wild guess?

Yes, J.J. is Watt happened.

Early in the third quarter, after Ryan Fitzpatrick threw another pick, it seemed as if the team was headed in the same direction as the previous week in their loss to the New York Giants.

But that wasn’t so.

J.J. would not let that happen this time and he gave it all that he had to make sure the team would be the victor.

With a little under 14 minutes to go, with the Bills lined up in shotgun formation, EJ Manuel floated such a weak pass to Fred Jackson that Watt was able to leap indeterminable bounds to scoop up the ball and take it back to house!

Yes, a Pick-6 it was!

It was one the grandest I’ve seen and he appeared to have run it even faster than his last interception for a touchdown back during the 2011 playoffs against the Cincinnati Bengals.

That play was the catalyst for their success — the team started to turn up the defense, Randy Bullock started kicking field goals from everywhere and Darryl Morris was able to grab the game-winning pick late in the game putting a stop to the comeback the Bills were making.

What a game!

But now we must move on to the next opponent — the Dallas Cowboys.

Texans and Cowboys fans have been waiting for this match up for quite some time as they sit on top of their respective divisions — four years to be exact — and the continuation for the battle of the Governor’s Cup will be in full effect in order to have those coveted bragging rights.

So as these two teams take the field to do battle in one intense state rivalry, here’s some things to look for position-wise:

Sep 28, 2014; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback

Tony Romo

(9) throws in the pocket against the New Orleans Saints at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

QUARTERBACK: Fitzpatrick looked slightly better last week — if you take away the two picks. The first pick wasn’t his fault, he parked the football deep where it should be but it was the athleticism of Leodis McKelvin that overcame DeAndre Hopkins attempt to grab the football that was floating out of thin air. I honestly think that the second one was on Fitz, where he tried go with a short pass to Arian Foster but the ball was tipped then picked off by Nigel Bradham. Fitz actually looked decent, going 25-for-37 for 268 yards with one touchdown pass for a 75.1 quarterback rating. I expect to see Fitz have one of his better games of the season against the Cowboys against their rather weak pass rush. If he doesn’t throw any picks, it WILL be the best game of the season and he will be an important key to the try to get the W. The Cowboys are 26th in pass defense giving up a bulky 271 yards per game. On the other hand, Tony Romo, who has been the anchor for the team’s offense for the past eight years will be terrorized by the Texans’ defensive line. His offensive line is a lot better than what it has been in past years so he is less susceptible to throw picks with the protection that he so covets. He amazingly has four picks through four games — which that means he’s off to a solid start. I still think the fierce, amped-up Texans defensive line will force Romo to throw a pick or two much to the delight of fans alike!

Sep 28, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans quarterback

Ryan Fitzpatrick

(14) runs with the ball during the first half against the Buffalo Bills at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

RUNNING BACK: Foster had not practiced for this week up until yesterday where he saw limited participation. He continues to heal from a hamstring injury. He was extremely limited in last week’s game and barely was present on the stat sheet with six yards off eight carries, all short ones. In fact, as I predicted, Fitz was the leading rusher for last week with 14 yards off six carries. His longest run was 11 yards. The Cowboys are a bit better with their run defense — they’re ranked 14th giving up 109 yards per game. How the Texans do on the ground depends on Foster’s readiness. He should be available but I feel that he’ll split the workload with Alfred Blue to keep him healthy. If not, Blue, Fitz and Jonathan Grimes will be around to move the ball on the ground. Ronnie Brown was cut earlier this week so unless an acquisition or roster move is made, these will be our top rushers moving forward. The Texans on the other hand, are near the bottom of the barrel in rush defense — they’re ranked 24th giving up 130 yards per game. DeMarco Murray, their top rusher and one of the most talented backs in the league is fresh off a 24 carry, 149-yard performance with two touchdowns. Murray, as talented as he is, can’t be stopped but the Texans can contain him from getting his. He’s an important cog to the Cowboys’ offensive engine and if they can shut down one part of it, then that said engine will sputter and hopefully fail to allow the Texans to zoom by on the way to victory lane. I don’t see the Texans doing much damage on the ground at all.

Sep 28, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver

Andre Johnson

(80) catches a pass as Buffalo Bills cornerback

Leodis McKelvin

(21) defends during the first quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

WIDE RECEIVER: Here’s where the Texans will do most of their damage — in the air! The talents of Hopkins, Andre Johnson and Damaris Johnson will be targeted heavily throughout the game as the team moves the ball down the field. Andre Johnson has had his issues with his ankle and has not practiced this week as he nurses it. I wouldn’t be surprised if either Hopkins or Andre Johnson end the game with triple-digit receiving numbers. The Cowboys are weak defending the pass, they must take advantage and dare their secondary to defend until they find a way to stop our passing game. My best guess is that they won’t and will lean off the talents of Murray to stay in this game. Dez Bryant will always be a factor and has had a impressive start. He has 23 receptions for 291 yards and three touchdowns this season. It’s paramount that the Texans shut him down or it’s going to be a long day.

Sep 28, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans defensive back

Darryl Morris

(26) celebrates after making an interception during the fourth quarter against the Buffalo Bills at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

DEFENSE (FRONT 7 & SECONDARY): The defense must continue to make strides to improve game-after-game. Their performance last week was a step in the right direction but now is the time more than ever against a state rival to show that they can hang with just about anybody in the league. Their mettle will be tested this game and I’m hopeful that they will shine. I know that Watt has Romo on his sack list and he’s going to do everything he can to punch through the Cowboys’ O-Line to get to him. I suspect that he will and will get an opportunity to check Romo off that list. The secondary has been excellent this season and is the reason why they’re so good at the defending the pass. Out of the top five tacklers, four are in the secondary — those are: Johnathan Joseph (25), Kendrick Lewis (22), Kareem Jackson (14) and D.J. Swearinger (14). Brian Cushing (23 tackles, 14 assists) and Watt stand out as the leaders but where’s the rest of that line? They’ve got to show now more than ever — it’s time! This match up is one I’m looking forward to see.