Texans-Cowboys preview
6 critical elements that could tip the scales in Texans' clash with Cowboys on MNF
Nov 18, 2024, 10:28 am
Nico Collins is expected to play versus the Cowboys. Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images.
Houston (6-4) at Dallas (3-6)
Monday, 8:15 p.m. EST, ESPN
BetMGM NFL Odds: Texans by 7 1/2.
Against the spread: Texans 4-5-1; Cowboys 2-7.
Series record: Cowboys lead 4-2.
Last meeting: Cowboys beat Texans 27-23 on Dec. 11, 2022, in Arlington, Texas.
Last week: Texans lost to Lions 26-23; Cowboys lost to Eagles 34-6.
Texans offense: overall (15), rush (18), pass (15), scoring (17)
Texans defense: overall (3), rush (11), pass (4), scoring (19)
Cowboys offense: overall (21), rush (31), pass (10), scoring (23)
Cowboys defense: overall (26), rush (31), pass (11), scoring (31)
Turnover differential: Texans plus-7; Cowboys minus-10.
Texans player to watch
RB Joe Mixon is coming off a season-worst average of 1.8 yards per carry against the Lions in just his second game with fewer than 100 yards rushing this season. His 46 yards on 25 carries came against the NFL's No. 7 run defense. Now Mixon is back to facing the league's second-worst run defense, which he did in a 102-yard showing at Indianapolis last month. Mixon did score against Detroit, giving him at least one touchdown in all five games since returning from a high ankle sprain.
Cowboys player to watch
All-Pro WR CeeDee Lamb won't have Dak Prescott for the the rest of the season after the franchise QB had season-ending surgery on his torn hamstring. The first game without Prescott was dismal for the Dallas passing game. The Cowboys netted 49 yards through the air, their lowest total since 2001. Lamb had six catches, but for just 21 yards as Dallas averaged a paltry 1.5 yards per attempt. Dallas' fading hopes will be gone if those numbers don't improve.
Key matchup
Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons vs. Texans QB C.J. Stroud. Parsons was fantastic in his return from a high ankle sprain, which led to a four-game absence that was his first for injury in the NFL. Parsons sacked Jalen Hurts twice in the loss to the Eagles, the second forcing a fumble that gave Dallas a chance to take a second-quarter lead. It's been a rough four-game stretch for Stroud, but the reigning AP Offensive Rookie of the Year did showcase his mobility with 59 yards rushing two games ago in a loss to the New York Jets. He completed just 11 of 30 passes against New York and has two TD passes and two interceptions over the past four games.
Key injuries
WR Nico Collins has missed the past five games with a hamstring injury for the Texans, who already have lost WR Stefon Diggs to a season-ending knee injury. Collins was closer to a return last week and is expected to start against Dallas. ... DE Will Anderson Jr., who is tied for fifth in the NFL with 7 1/2 sacks, didn't practice Thursday because of an ankle issue. ... CB Kamari Lassiter, who became the fourth Texans rookie with two interceptions in a game as Houston had five against Detroit, was listed with a concussion on the injury report and didn't practice Thursday. ... Cowboys LG Tyler Smith had his left leg wrapped and worked with a trainer during the portion of practice open to reporters Wednesday. Smith was listed as limited in practice Thursday. ... FB Hunter Luepke (calf) and CB Jourdan Lewis (neck) weren't practicing to start the week. ... LB DeMarvion Overshown is expected to play after injuring a knee against the Eagles. He missed all of his rookie season in 2023 with a torn knee ligament.
Series notes
Dallas has won four of five since losing to the expansion Texans in Houston in their inaugural game in 2002. The Cowboys are 3-0 at home in the series.
Stats and stuff
The NFL's two Texas teams have just one victory between them over the past month. Houston is 1-3 since a 5-1 start, while still leading the AFC South. The defending NFC East champion Cowboys are sinking from playoff contention quickly with their first four-game losing streak since 2020, the most recent time they didn't qualify for the postseason. Dallas hasn't lost more than four in a row since 2015, when a seven-game skid matched the number of games quarterback Tony Romo missed with a broken collarbone. This will be the second game without Prescott. ... The Cowboys are 0-4 at home. They haven't started 0-5 or worse at home since losing all eight games at old Texas Stadium while finishing 1-15 in 1989, the year owner Jerry Jones bought the team. Dallas won 16 consecutive games at AT&T Stadium before the current skid, which is five losses when including a wild-card defeat to Green Bay in January. ... The Cowboys are making their 86th appearance on “Monday Night Football,” second to Miami's 89. Their 50 victories are third behind Pittsburgh (54) and San Francisco (52). The Texans are on MNF for the first time since 2019. It's the last of three consecutive prime-time games for Houston. ... Stroud has gone four consecutive games with a passer rating below 100. The longest such streak of his rookie season was three. ... Third-year Texans WR John Metchie III, who missed his rookie year undergoing treatment for leukemia, had career highs with five catches for 74 yards and his first-ever TD against the Lions. ... TE Dalton Schultz faces the Cowboys for the first time since signing with Houston in free agency last year. Schultz had 2,122 yards receiving and 17 touchdowns in five seasons with Dallas. He needs 55 yards to reach 1,000 with the Texans and is coming off a season-high 66 yards last week. ... Cowboys QB Cooper Rush is expected to start again after he and Trey Lance were ineffective in the first game without Prescott. Rush won his first five starts filling in for Prescott in 2021-22, but has lost the past two, both to the Eagles. ... Overshown leads the Cowboys with four sacks. He matched Parsons with two against Philadelphia. ... CB Trevon Diggs had his 20th career interception. The 26-year-old is the second youngest in franchise history to reach 20.
Fantasy tip
Opposing quarterbacks are averaging more than two touchdown passes in the past five Dallas home games. Stroud is a good play despite the recent struggles, and he has kept the interceptions under control.
Most Popular
SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome
Listen Live
Derrick Henry, Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs are the top three leading rushers in the NFL.
Every team had a chance to add them in the offseason.
Henry, Barkley and Jacobs switched teams in free agency along with several other starting running backs who are leading their teams in rushing. J.K. Dobbins, Tony Pollard, Aaron Jones and De’Andre Swift are on the list. Joe Mixon also changed uniforms but he was traded.
Many running backs felt they were being devalued last year and openly expressed their frustration. They were paid better this season, though nowhere close to the money quarterbacks and wide receivers receive.
The success of Henry, Barkley and others could change the future of the position. Teams may be more inclined to give top backs bigger contracts.
Henry signed a two-year, $16 million deal with the Baltimore Ravens. He has 1,185 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns.
Barkley got a $37.5 million, three-year contract with $26 million guaranteed from the Philadelphia Eagles. He leads the NFL with 1,347 scrimmage yards, including 1,137 on the ground, and has eight rushing TDs and two more receiving.
Mixon received a $25.5 million, three-year deal from Houston after he was traded by Cincinnati. He has 764 yards rushing and 10 TDs, including three Monday night, in eight games.
Christian McCaffrey is the highest-paid running back with an average annual salary of $19 million. Meanwhile, 23 receivers are averaging at least $20 million per season, including six making $30 million.
Henry, Barkley and Mixon have been bargains for likely playoff-bound teams with Super Bowl aspirations.
They could pave the way for other backs to get paid.
Underrated Tomlin
Mike Tomlin is one win away from securing his 18th winning season in 18 years as the head coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers. This could be Tomlin’s best coaching job yet.
The Steelers (8-2) took control of the AFC North with an 18-16 win over Baltimore (7-4) and have established themselves as surprise Super Bowl contenders. They were an afterthough t coming into the season before starting 4-2 with Justin Fields filling in for Russell Wilson. Tomlin was widely criticized for switching to Wilson when he returned from a calf injury and the Steelers haven’t lost since.
Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy was among the few national analysts who supported Tomlin’s decision to make a QB change.
“So many said Mike Tomlin didn’t know what he was doing and Russell Wilson couldn’t play football any more. I think Coach Tomlin has watched enough football to be able to make intelligent decisions,” Dungy said.
Despite his success, Tomlin has never been the AP Coach of the Year. He’s built a strong case through 11 weeks.
Opposite results
The Saints (4-7) are 2-0 since Dennis Allen was fired and special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi became the interim coach. The Jets (3-8) are 1-5 after Jeff Ulbrich replaced Robert Saleh.
Ulbrich, who was promoted to interim coach from defensive coordinator, has continued to call plays for a unit that has regressed.
Twice in the past four games, the defense has allowed a 70-yard touchdown drive that culminated with the go-ahead score in the final minute. It happened against Jacoby Brissett and the Patriots in Week 8 and against Anthony Richardson and the Colts on Sunday.
Aaron Rodgers now has to lead the Jets to six straight wins to avoid the fourth losing season of his career.
New York’s miserable season cost general manager Joe Douglas his job on Tuesday.
Dallas doom
Just when it seemed things couldn’t get worse for the Cowboys, their stadium fell apart. Well, a piece of the roof at AT&T Stadium fell about 300 feet to the field a few hours before Monday night’s 34-10 loss to Houston.
With Dak Prescott, Dallas was 3-5. Without their star quarterback, the Cowboys have no chance. They’ve been outscored 68-16 in two losses. Even worse, the future looks bleak because the team has too many flaws.
Owner/general manager Jerry Jones has to make important decisions, starting with who will lead the team if coach Mike McCarthy, as expected, doesn’t return.
Unfortunately, a national TV audience will have to watch America’s Team the next two games on Thanksgiving and Monday night Dec. 9.