The Dallas Cowboys staff are backing a response in Texans Vs Cowboys, with Brian Schottenheimer making it clear that Sunday’s matchup is bigger than the records suggest. Dallas enter Week 4 at 1-2 after a close loss to the Ravens in Rio, while the Texans are still searching for their first win at 0-3.
That backdrop matters. The Cowboys had a 10-hour flight from Dallas to Rio de Janeiro last week and then a quick hour flight to Houston for the weekend game, so there has been travel, recovery and short preparation all rolled into one early-season test. Against that backdrop, the staff predictions published for Sunday point to Dallas believing this is the kind of game they should win.
Schottenheimer: records do not tell the full story
Schottenheimer’s message was simple: the Texans are not playing like an 0-3 team, and Dallas do not see themselves as just a 1-2 side either. As he put it, “We don't see this team as an 0-3 team. I know that's what their record is, but we don't see them as that. Just like I don't think we're a 1-2 based on the way we can perform. But they're really good at what they do.”
That is a useful way of framing Texans Vs Cowboys. Early-season records can be misleading, especially when a team has the talent to change quickly. Schottenheimer’s point was not to downgrade Houston, but to underline that the Texans are capable of much more than their record shows.
Why Sunday feels like a key early-season marker
The Cowboys will know this is not simply about bounce-back energy after a close defeat. It is also about turning a difficult travel week into something more decisive on the field. A 1-2 start can still be repaired, but another setback would leave Dallas with far less room for error going forward.
For Houston, the urgency is just as obvious. A team that has yet to win this season will see Sunday as a chance to reset the narrative, especially against a Cowboys side that has already shown it can compete in tight games. That is why the staff predictions around this matchup matter: they reflect a belief that Dallas can respond, while still acknowledging that the Texans have enough quality to make life difficult.
However it plays out, Week 4 is already looking like an important checkpoint for both teams. Dallas want to turn the Rio defeat into a statement win in Houston, while the Texans are trying to turn effort into a first result. On Sunday, that tension should make Texans Vs Cowboys one of the most revealing games of the early season.
