FRISCO - In the micro sense? There are concerns. The Dallas Cowboys on Monday suffered another embarrassing 34-10 defeat to the Houston Texans at AT&T Stadium, marking their fifth straight home loss. And game’s opening play foreshadowed the struggles Dallas would face throughout the matchup.
But in the macro sense? Things can change. Wounds do heel. Bad teams do become good ones. And that is the bold promise Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is now making.
First, to that micro ...
The Texans wasted no time testing the Cowboys’ defense, as quarterback C.J. Stroud connected with Nico Collins for a 77-yard touchdown on the very first play of the game. Collins, returning to action, showcased his speed and playmaking ability, cutting through Dallas' secondary and racing to the end zone. However, the score was negated by an ineligible man downfield penalty, momentarily bailing out the Cowboys and backing the Texans up to their own 18-yard line.
While Dallas avoided an immediate deficit, the reprieve was short-lived. The drive was capped off when Houston running back Joe Mixon broke free for a 45-yard touchdown, giving the Texans a 7-0 lead and setting the tone for a long day for Dallas.
So in a sense, the befuddled Cowboys gave up two long TDs on the firest two plays of the game.
The Cowboys managed a 64-yard touchdown pass from Cooper Rush to KaVontae Turpin. And that was about it. Costly penalties, turnovers, and a fumble returned for a touchdown by Houston’s defense compounded the Cowboys’ issues.
Rush - in for Dak Prescott, who injured is out for the year - completed 32 of 55 passes for 354 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Injuries to Zack Martin, Tyler Guyton, Jake Ferguson and Tyler Smith made Dallas' offense seem even more inept.
But ... what about changes? And "better days''?
Said owner Jones on Tuesday in reflection: "Rest assured we'll be figuring out ways to look for what we're doing wrong and improve on that. ... The bottom line is that we've got to get better. We will get better. There are better days ahead."
That can indeed be how the NFL works. Dallas believes it employs foundational talents in Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, Tyler Smith, Trevon Diggs, Micah Parsons and more. ... and the "Blow It Up'' plan can allow for a remodel for 2025 in part due to a potential $100 million in cap room.
For now, with the loss, the Cowboys set an NFL record for five consecutive home defeats by 20 or more points, dropping their record to 3-7. But for later? "There are better days ahead,'' says Jerry, and he's likely right. Because right now, it seems it couldn't get much worse.
