0-3 Cowboys Face Texans' Pass Rush, Elite Secondary in Week 4

Dallas, winless after a loss in Brazil, visits Houston in Week 4 to face a fierce Texans pass rush, an elite secondary, and the likely return of receiver Nico Collins.

Week 4 of the NFL season takes the Dallas Cowboys on the road for a visit with their intrastate rivals, the Houston Texans. The trip is a short one after Dallas returned from Brazil on the wrong end of the result, and the Cowboys arrive at 0-3 with their season in need of a turnaround. Houston has dropped two games in the late stages of the fourth quarter, leaving the Texans every bit as hungry for a victory as their opponents.

Houston's defense stands among the NFL's strongest units, and the pass rush is its most feared element. The Texans entered the week sitting third in the league with 11 sacks, produced largely by one of football's premier edge pairings.

Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter share 5.5 sacks between them through three games this season. A year ago, the duo combined for 27 sacks, more than any other tandem in football. Anderson is regarded as one of the five best edge rushers in the game and will test a Dallas offensive front that is still gelling.

Protecting Dak Prescott therefore ranks among the biggest keys to any Cowboys victory. If the pocket collapses around him, the Dallas offense could be in for a difficult afternoon.

Houston may also be getting a key contributor back on offense. Wide receiver Nico Collins has been sidelined for two games by a hamstring injury but looks on track to play in Week 4. His expected return would make him the second high-profile receiver in as many weeks to face Dallas after recovering from injury, following Baltimore's Zay Flowers last week.

Collins has topped 1,000 receiving yards and six touchdowns in each of the past three seasons, and containing him falls to a Christian Parker defense whose secondary ranks near the bottom of the league and is managing injuries. Cornerback Joey Porter Jr., acquired recently, has yet to appear this season; if he dresses, he would be absorbing a new scheme on short notice.

Houston's own secondary tells a far different story. Derek Stingley, a two-time All-Pro viewed as one of football's premier cornerbacks, has recorded 15 interceptions across his first four seasons while regularly drawing assignments against top receivers, though he is still waiting on his first pick of the year. The group as a whole includes two Pro Bowl players plus a third who performs at a perennial Pro Bowl level.

Cornerback Kamari Lassiter, a Pro Bowler, owns seven career interceptions in slightly more than two seasons. At safety, third-year Caelen Bullock and fifth-year Jalen Pitre have 19 interceptions between them, anchoring one of the league's top safety units. Few teams can match Houston's talent on the back end, and a coverage group that feasts on takeaways could spell trouble for Prescott and the Dallas passing game.

Dallas visits Houston on Sunday, October 4, with kickoff set for 1:00 PM EDT at Reliant Stadium. The game airs on FOX.