Cowboys 2024 opponent preview: X-factors for the Houston Texans

July 24, 2024 dallas city news

Who could’ve foreseen what the Houston Texans became in their first season under rookie head coach DeMeco Ryans and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud? The Texans took everyone by surprise, winning 10 games, the AFC South division title, and a playoff game. However, Houston’s front office wanted more than a small taste of postseason success and was very busy adding talent in the offseason.

Wisely, the Texans opted to bolster their roster with decorated veterans to take advantage of the opportunity afforded to them thanks to Stroud’s modest rookie contract. Houston could easily find themselves in a deep playoff run, putting more pressure on their in-state rivals, the Dallas Cowboys. The battle for Texas happens again this season in the seventh meeting of all time. Here are some under-the-radar X factors the Cowboys will face when they take on the Texans.

Opponent: Houston Texans

2023 record: 10-7, 1st place in the NFC East

Date(s) on the schedule: Week 11 Nov 18th

Noah Brown, Wide receiver

Last week, quarterback C.J. Stroud referred to the Texans’ offense as a five-headed monster. That’s a pretty good assertion. Houston has a lot of depth on its roster. Like the Hydra in Greek mythology, two more might emerge if you were to take one of the heads away. The Texans are packed with wide receivers after adding Stefon Diggs via trade and retaining 2023 breakout star Nico Collins on a new contract. Also, Tank Dell returns after a promising rookie season ended by injury. However, one overlooked receiver that could cause problems for the Cowboys is their former receiver, Noah Brown.

For years, the Cowboys were patient in Browns’ development, finding multiple ways to keep him on the roster. When they could, Brown served as a blocker in some packages in addition to his special teams duties. At 6’2”, 215 lbs., Brown has a sturdy and burly frame to support run blocking but is also strong as a receiver over the middle of the field. Brown is willing to extend himself over the middle of the field and take a big hit for the defense.

Signed to a modest contract last offseason, you could argue Houston was unsure of what they had with Brown. When he stepped into a starter’s role after the Texans were decimated by injuries last season, he surprised many. Brown started in Weeks 9 & 10 against the Tampa Buccaneers and Cincinnati Bengals, and over those two games, Brown totaled 325 receiving yards on 13 receptions for a catch rate of 92% on targets. To most, he’s an afterthought, but for Dallas, he cannot be forgotten. He surely will want to show his old team what they are missing.

Dameon Pierce, Running back

Dameon Pierce may be overlooked entirely for his disappointing sophomore season. Pierce had the Texans backfield in the palm of his hand but struggled with rushing efficiently. Pierce posted abysmal averages and ran for 2.9 yards per carry over 145 attempts. Complicating matters for Pierce is the Texans adding Joe Mixon via trade from the Cincinnati Bengals. Mixon comes with experience and a Pro Bowl selection under his belt. However, the Texans merely invested a seventh-round pick to acquire Mixon and thus aren’t beholden to forcing the envelope with Mixon’s usage in the offense.

If Pierce can recapture his form from 2022, where he averaged over four yards a carry and ran for nearly 1,000 yards, he becomes a problem for the Cowboys. Pierce is a compactly built runner with the strength to through arm tackles and and just enough speed to make breakaway runs. With the additional weapons the Texans have added to their offense, both Pierce and Mixon become benefactors and will create lighter boxes to defend the run. Conversely, Dallas still needs to demonstrate that it is capable and more equipped to stop the run than it was at the end of last season and that it can limit Pierce from impacting the game.

Jalen Pitre, Safety

As mentioned, the Texans are very well-rounded. Defensively, their head coach has done a great job at making Houston a much more formidable defense. Will Anderson, whom they chose with the third overall pick in the 2023 draft, had a respectable rookie season with seven sacks. Danielle Hunter comes over to the Texans after recording 16.5 sacks for the Minnesota Vikings last season. Yet, when you look at the talent on the Houston defense, Jalen Pitre is one of their best-kept secrets.

As a rookie, Pitre had a very productive season, recording 147 tackles, 99 solo tackles, and five interceptions. After his rookie season, Pitre was named to the PFWA All-Rookie. As a talent, Pitre is more of a box safety similar to Dallas’ Donovan Wilson and is much better when playing downhill in supporting the run. However, he is outstanding instinctually and can read route concepts on underneath passes to get into passing lanes. His underneath coverage on short routes could impact Dallas’ quick passing game and lead to an untimely turnover.

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Dallas City News