After two consecutive losses in prime-time, the Houston Texans have an opportunity to get back on track against the flailing Cowboys on Monday Night Football.

Texans fans may still be recovering from the team's epic collapse against the Lions last Sunday night, but a win over the rival Cowboys should go a long way in boosting their spirits.

The Texans are heavily favored in this matchup, as Houston will face Cooper Rush at quarterback, with Dak Prescott out for the season with a hamstring injury.

But for Texans fans, the most important thing to see this week, besides a win, is CJ Stroud and the offense getting on the same page and putting up points.

Especially in the second half, with Houston failing to score a single touchdown in the last four weeks. With superstar receiver Nico Collins expected to return, (he practiced on Wednesday!) we may see the first complete game from the offense in quite some time.

The Texans struggles in the second half of games has been the hot topic of conversation in recent weeks, but there's another area where the team needs to show improvement. On the road.

Stroud has only thrown for at least 200 yards in two road games this season. Week one against the Colts (234), and week three against the Vikings (215).

And to be fair, most of Stroud's yards against the Vikings were in garbage time, with the team chasing points all game.

Touchdowns have also been difficult to come by, throwing zero in Stroud's last two road games. Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik is catching a lot of heat for the issues on offense, and rightfully so, but he's not the only one at fault.

Stroud needs to play better, and the offensive line has been the cause of many issues as well. Which brings us to Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons. Parsons returned from injury (ankle) with a bang last week against the Eagles, posting two sacks and forcing a fumble.

Stroud has been sacked a whopping 12 times in the last two weeks, so this will be one of the most important matchups to watch on Monday night.

As a team, the Cowboys sacked Eagles QB Jalen Hurts 5 times last Sunday. So despite the Cowboys struggles to stop the run (4.7 yards per attempt, ranking 24th in the NFL), they can still make life difficult for opposing QBs.

The Dallas defense has also allowed the second-most points per game (28.8) in 2024, and are dead last in red zone defense.

Bulls on Parade

The Texans defense has been exceptional as of late, intercepting Lions QB Jared Goff five times on Sunday night. And this week, the Texans have an opportunity to tee off on Cowboys QB Cooper Rush.

And while the Cowboys do have some quality playmakers in Rico Dowdle, Jake Ferguson, and Jalen Tolbert, the main goal will be keeping Pro Bowl wide receiver CeeDee Lamb in check. Lamb has been playing through a shoulder injury in recent weeks, so that will be something to monitor.

Texans corner Derek Stingley should be up for the task, but Houston may be without their second-best corner Kamari Lassiter, who's dealing with a concussion. We also don't know if pass rusher Will Anderson will return from an ankle injury that caused him to miss last week's game. He wasn't seen at practice on Wednesday.

All in all, as much as Texans fans would like to have bragging rights with a win over the Cowboys, this game is much more important than that. CJ Stroud and company can't afford to lose three straight games.

Plus, a team with expectations as high as Houston's can't rationalize a loss to a scuffling Dallas team who hasn't won a game at home all season, and will be without their starting QB.

With the AFC South being so weak, everyone expects the Texans to win the division after a fast start. But a loss to the Cowboys would signal that the Texans could lose to any team at any point moving forward.

What does Vegas think?

The Texans are 7.5 point road favorites, and the point total is set at 42 points.

Be sure to watch the video above as the crew from Texans on Tap gets you ready for the big game!