5 Dallas Cowboys Facing Make-or-Break Game in Week 4 vs. Houston Texans

Things just got a lot more interesting for the Dallas Cowboys' defense on Wednesday night.

That's because the Cowboys acquired Joey Porter Jr. in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers, which now puts almost everyone in Dallas' cornerbacks room on notice, which sets up a make-or-break situation for those players in Week 4.

But Cowboys cornerbacks aren't the only ones facing that kind of situation this week. Here's five Cowboys in total facing a make-or-break scenario entering the contest against the Houston Texans.

Dee Winters

We've been saying for weeks now that Winters could lose his starting job if Jaishawn Barham plays well in DeMarvion Overshown's absence.

Well, Barham has been exceptional and even head coach Brian Schottenheimer wouldn't rule out a starting role for the rookie once Overshown gets back.

"We're going to play that by ear. I think Jaishawn's earning those opportunities though right now with how he's playing," Schotty told reporters on Wednesday, according to Tommy Yarrish of DallasCowboys.com.

Before Overshown's injury, Barham and Winters rotated. Now, it might be Overshown and Winters rotating more than the other combination because of how well Barham has played.

DaRon Bland

Bland is just one of the Cowboys on the hot seat after the trade for Joey Porter Jr. After all, the Cowboys didn't acquire Porter to sit on the bench, so someone is getting replaced.

The veteran has been OK but not good enough. His 62.1 grade in coverage ranks 45th among 99 qualified cornerbacks, per Pro Football Focus, and he's giving up a completion rate of 61.5% along with a passer rating of 110.9. He has also permitted touchdowns in two of three contests this season.

With Porter in the mix, all bets are off in the cornerbacks room, and that's especially true for Bland, who hasn't played at a high level in a few years. He needs to step up big time this week and every week going forward or his snaps will be limited, at best.

Shavon Revel

Revel is the second Cowboys cornerback on the hot seat. We are not going to put Durant in that category because he has been the team's best cornerback this season and should be seeing more snaps than Bland and Revel upon his return from injury, which doesn't look like it'll be this week.

Revel, who is dealing with a knee injury and may not even play this week, actually has a worse coverage grade (53.8) than Bland, but has only given up a completion rate of 50% and a passer rating totaling 68.4.

When everyone was healthy in Week 1, Revel was the bottom man on the totem pole when it came to snaps. If he doesn't play up to snuff moving forward, his role could be eradicated completely.

Markquese Bell & Alijah Clark

Dallas Cowboys safety Markquese Bell. — Football - NFL - Baltimore Ravens v Dallas Cowboys - Estadio Maracana, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - September 27, 2026 Baltimore Ravens' Josh Cuevas in action with Dallas Cowboys' Markquese Bell REUTERS/Sergio Moraes | REUTERS

With P.J. Locke and Jalen Thompson on injured reserve, and with Malik Hooker uncertain to play this week, both players are in line for significant roles in Week 4. Even when Hooker comes back, there's going to be snaps to be had.

Whoever plays better in Week 4 is going to secure those snaps, so the contest against the Texans amounts to a massive opportunity for both Clark and Bell.

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