The NFL recently released the 2026-27 season schedule, and the Houston Texans have quite the battle in front of them if they are to compete for the Lombardi trophy this season. Houston will have a number of games against heated rivals. But arguably, no game against a disliked opponent will be bigger than its Week 4 matchup against in-state rival, the Dallas Cowboys.
It is not often that the Texans and Cowboys face off, and typically, there is not much on the line except a win or a loss, as they are in opposing conferences. But when they do, it's a battle for bragging rights in the Lone Star State.
The battle between Houston and Dallas, also known as the Governor's Cup, was originally played between the Arlington-based ball club and the former Houston Oilers, now Tennessee Titans. Since 2002, when the Texans were added as an expansion franchise, the teams have faced off seven times. Dallas leads the overall series 4-3, but the Texans did dominate their last matchup, winning convincingly on the road 34-10 at AT&T Stadium. In this series, both franchises have only dropped one game at home. The Texans' lone home loss came in 2010, when the Cowboys got the best of them 27-13.
When Houston and Dallas last faced off in 2024, the Texans put together a dominant performance in the second half after taking a 17-10 lead into the intermission. The Texans' rushing attack, led by former running back Joe Mixon, rushed for 141 yards on the day. He also found the endzone three times in the contest, including a 45-yard run to open the scoring.
Texans recent success has paved the way for future prosperity against Dallas
This time around, the teams look a little different, but Houston would like nothing better than to repeat the results of their last match-up. To do so, the Texans are likely going to look for star quarterback CJ Stroud to carve up the Cowboys' defense, especially in the passing game. Last year, Dallas ranked dead last in the NFL in overall pass defense. They allowed the most passing yards on the season, 4521 total passing yards, for an average of 251 yards per contest. Dallas also gave up the second-most passing touchdowns last year (35), which also helped cement their status as the worst pass defense for the 2025-26 season.
Stroud has plenty of weapons on the outside and a revamped offensive line that will have played three regular-season games together before facing the Cowboys. Star wideout Nico Collins will be flanked by speedster Tank Dell and a trio of Iowa State receivers headlined by Jayden Higgins. Houston is also three deep at tight end with Dalton Schultz, Cade Stover, and Foster Moreau. Plus, they also have the benefit of the Cowboys having a less-than-stellar pass rush attack in the eyes of many after they traded away star edge rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers last season.
Houston's week 4 matchup against Dallas might not be as impactful to their overall standing as their week 3 contests with the Indianapolis Colts, but the game is very much significant for bragging rights and respect in Texas. Look for Stroud and the Texans offense to put together a dazzling display as they attempt to take down their in-state foes.
Add us as a preferred source on Google