If there ever was a must-win game for theHouston Texans in franchise history, it would come on Sunday in honor of the team's 25th Anniversary.
The Texans look to stop the bleeding and pick up their first win against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4. Houston has started slowly out of the gate in the DeMeco Ryans era, going 0-3 in back-to-back seasons, but an 0-4 loss would almost certainly end any playoff chatter behind an elite defense.
The Texans’ Week 4 showdown between the Lone Star State foes will air on FOX at 12 p.m. CT on Sunday afternoon. The television commentators for the game are Kenny Albert (play-by-play), Greg Olsen (analyst) and Pam Oliver(sideline).
Everything that could have gone wrongat Lucas Oil Stadium in Week 3 did for DeMeco Ryans
and Co. as the Indianapolis Colts ended their nine-game losing streak with a 19-17 victory. QuarterbackC.J. Stroud threw for 167 yards and had a touchdown pass, but the run game stalled for a second straight week behind uncreative play-calling from second-year coordinator Nick Caley.
The Texans' defense struggled to slow down Daniel Jones in the first quarter, but eventually found a rhythm to shake him. Will Anderson Jr. recorded two strip sacks that were recovered by the offense, including one on Indianapolis' opening drive.
In the fourth quarter, Anderson took his game to new levels, strip-sacking Jones a second time to give the offense a chance to take the lead. Stroud delivered, converting multiple throws to get Houston in the red zone, setting up a 1-yard touchdown run by Woody Marks.
All the defense had to do was force a stop and it would have led to a win. Instead, poor clock management from Ryans and a couple of throws from Jones set up the game-winning field goal from Spencer Shrader.
As for the Cowboys, they're sitting at 1-2 following a heartbreaking loss against the Baltimore Ravens in Rio. After Brandon Aubrey tied the game at 31 with nine seconds remaining, most assumed the game would go to overtime. However, two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson found Zay Flowers for a 21-yard gain to set up the game-winning 56-yard field goal from Tyler Loop as time expired.
How do the experts feel about Sunday's showdown? Here's their thoughts entering the battle in Reliant Stadium.
USA Today
- Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz: Cowboys
- Jarrett Bell: Cowboys
- Nick Brinkerhoff: Texans
- Chris Bumbaca: Texans
- Nate Davis: Cowboys
- Adam Kauffman: Cowboys
NFL.com
- Jeremy Bergman: Cowboys
- Brooke Cersosimo: Cowboys
- Dan Parr: Texans
- Gennaro Filice: Texans
- Bobby Kownack: Cowboys
ESPN
- Stephania Bell: Cowboys
- Matt Bowen: Cowboys
- Mike Clay: Cowboys
- Jeremy Fowler: Texans
- Dan Graziano: Texans
- Kalyn Kahler: Cowboys
- Pamela Maldonado: Cowboys
- Eric Moody: Cowboys
- Jason Reid: Cowboys
- Ben Solak: Texans
- Lindsey Thiry: Cowboys
- Sam Wickersham: Texans
CBS Sports
- Pete Prisco: Texans
- Jared Dubin: Texans
- Ryan Wilson: Texans
- John Breech: Texans
- Tyler Sullivan: Cowboys
- Dave Richard: Texans
- Jamey Eisenberg: Texans
MMQB
- Albert Breer: Texans
- Eva Geitheim: Texans
- Mitch Goldich: Cowboys
- Gilberto Manzano: Texans
- Conor Orr: Texans
- John Pluym: Texans
- Matt Verderame: Cowboys
- Mike Kadlick: Texans
Bleacher Report
- Gary Davenport: Cowboys
- Brad Gagnon: Texans
- Ian Hanford: Texans
- Kris Knox: Texans
- Maurice Moton: Texans
- Wes O’Donnell: Texans
- Brent Sobleski: Cowboys
Texans Wire
Cole Thompson: Cowboys
Ariana Pensey: Cowboys
Houston Chronicle
Jonathan M. Alexander: Cowboys
Reid Laymance: Cowboys
Greg Rajan: Texans
Peter Warren: Texans
Matt Young: Texans
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Week 4 picks: Who the experts are taking in Texans vs. Cowboys
