Houston Texans enter Week 4 with its season already under pressure. They sit at 0-3 after a 19-17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, and their offense has managed only 54 points through three games. The defense has kept them competitive, but Houston has been unable to finish games.
The Dallas Cowboys also face severe problems, sitting at 1-2 after a 34-31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens and struggling defensively. Dallas is surrendering 387.0 yards per game-ranking 30th in the NFL-compared to Houston’s 325.3 yards allowed.
Analyzing the matchup, ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky pointed directly to the opposing weaknesses on each side: Houston’s inability to run the ball and beat man coverage versus Dallas’ continuous struggles to stop the run or limit passing plays.
Orlovsky Calls Texans-Cowboys a Make-or-Break Game
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images via Reuters Connect
Orlovsky sees virtually no margin for error for Houston entering Week 4. He described this as Houston’s “one shot to save your season,” arguing that a win could allow the Texans to start the type of midseason run expected from a preseason playoff contender.
A loss would leave Houston at 0-4 and facing an extremely difficult path after another slow September.
“Houston wins this, you have a chance to maybe go on a run and get to kind of what we all expected you to be a playoff team, Super Bowl aspirations. You lose this, your season’s done,” Orlovsky said.
While the franchise famously overcame an 0-3 start in 2018 to reach the postseason, repeating that miracle requires an offensive resurgence. Houston enters Week 4 ranking 26th in scoring at just 18.0 points per game.
Orlovsky Points to Matching Weaknesses on Both Sides
“This is a weakness of theirs[Houston] versus the weakness of the Dallas Cowboys. Houston cannot run the football, they cannot beat man coverage. Dallas cannot stop the run and they can’t cover anybody,” Orlovsky noted.
The Texans have averaged only 61.3 rushing yards over its last two games, while Dallas has allowed 387.0 total yards per game through three weeks. That makes Houston’s offensive issues directly relevant to Dallas’ biggest defensive problems.
While Orlovsky focused heavily on the Texans’ offense, Houston’s defense has been the more reliable unit. The Texans have 11 sacks through three games, fourth in the NFL, compared with only two for Dallas. Will Anderson Jr. has 4.0 sacks and Danielle Hunter has 1.5, giving Houston a clear strength to attack Dallas’ offense.
The ESPN analyst said Prescott needs to be effective from the pocket and attack the middle of the field, pointing to what Daniel Jones did against Houston’s defense in the Colts’ 19-17 win. Prescott enters Week 4 with 730 passing yards, seven touchdowns and one interception.
Nico Collins’ Return Could Change Everything for C.J. Stroud
Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Collins missed the past two games with a Grade 1 hamstring strain, but he returned to practice Wednesday. Ryans called him an “explosive playmaker” who forces defenses to adjust whenever he is on the field.
The wide receiver’s Week 1 production shows what Houston has missed. Collins caught 7 passes for 75 yards and a touchdown against Buffalo in Week 1. Houston has scored only 23 points across the two games he missed, while Stroud managed just 167 passing yards against Indianapolis. Collins’ return restores Stroud’s primary target against man coverage.
Stroud’s individual numbers are better than Houston’s record suggests. He has completed 56 of 93 passes for 627 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions through three games, although he has been sacked seven times. The Cowboys game gives Stroud a chance to turn that individual production into the points Houston has been missing.
