DALLAS — The Week 14 matchup with the Houston Texans might not be a big test for the Dallas Cowboys but beating an in-state rival is never easy. On the surface, this looks like a mismatch for the Cowboys, yet things seldom play out as predicted in the NFL.
However, this game should go the Cowboys’ way. The Texans are the worst team in the league with just one win, one tie and 10 losses this season. They are also currently bringing a seven-game losing streak with them to Dallas.
All signs point to another blowout win for the Cowboys, but here’s what the team needs to do to avoid the biggest upset in the NFL this season:
Put the brakes to Dameon Pierce
The Texans have the worst offense in the league, but Pierce is one of the few bright spots. The rookie runner out of Florida is eighth in the league in rushing, with 861 yards, which leads all rookie RBs.
After a solid stretch in the middle of the season where Pierce was among the top RBs in the league, he was slowed on back-to-back weeks, rushing for eight yards total in Weeks 11 and 12 before getting going again last week with 73 yards on the ground. When the Texans commit to giving him carries, Pierce helps move the chains for a stagnant offense.
Pierce is a physical runner who rarely goes down on first contact, so the Cowboys will need to make sure they tackle well on Sunday.
Make good on ground game
On the flip side, the Texans have struggled to stop the run, ranking last in the league allowing 169.1 yards per game and 15 rushing touchdowns. The Cowboys are seventh in the NFL, rushing for almost 146 yards per game on the ground. Unlike most of the teams ahead of them, Dallas does it solely with their running backs, and not a quarterback.
The tandem of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard have combined for 136.4 rushing yards per contest, and they compliment each other well to wear out opposing defenses. The Texans have allowed five 100-yards rushers this season and it could be six if the Cowboys get the run game going.
However, recently, the Texans have been better against the run and held the league’s second leading rusher Nick Chubb to just 80 yards last week. Dallas will test the Houston run defense and see if it’s really an improved unit.
Force Davis Mills into mistakes
The Cowboys took advantage of the mistakes by the Indianapolis Colts last week, and they’ll look to do it again in Week 14. The Colts were among the league leaders in turnovers when Dallas added to their misery in Week 13, and the Texans are in a similar way.
Houston quarterbacks have thrown 15 interceptions this season, and they’re bringing second-year quarterback Davis Mills back in as the starter. The Texans replaced Mills two weeks ago, but his backup Kyle Allen wasn’t the answer, so Mills returns. Mills has thrown 11 interceptions on the season, which is tied for second worst in the league. Mills has also thrown for 11 touchdowns to equal his INT total.
Dallas’ defense is second in the league at forcing mistakes, with 21 takeaways. The Cowboys have 10 interceptions on the year, and even though they’ll be playing with rookie cornerback DaRon Bland and second-year CB Kelvin Joseph stepping into larger roles, the defense should have chances to get turnovers.
Get off to a quick start
The Cowboys are heavily favored in this game and are expected to win. That has been the case in most of their recent games, but Mike McCarthy’s team has started slowly in each of the last two weeks against inferior opponents. A fast start for the Cowboys would squash any hope of an upset and could lead to an early blowout.
There doesn’t need to be any tense moments in this game, and the Cowboys could do some stat padding while they’re at it.
Dallas has a few players who could use some extra rest, so it would be wise to get a big lead early and let them relax as much as possible. It would also be beneficial to get some younger players some experience in case the team needs them to step up down the stretch.
The Cowboys cannot allow the Texans to hang around and the players have talked all week about not taking the Texans lightly. Let’s see if that holds true or if it’s just lip service.
Do you foresee a blowout win for the Cowboys over Houston in Week 14? Share your predictions with Ben on Twitter @BenGrimaldi.
