LISTEN: How Many Cowboys Starters Play vs. Texans?

In the NFL, the penultimate preseason game is usually the time when presumed starters are most likely to see the field, one last time before the season kicks off.

For the Dallas Cowboys, more starters will play this week than in the previous two games against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals, but the team will still be without some key players as they look to heal before the season opener September 9 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

One Cowboy fans will not see play Saturday night is quarterback Dak Prescott, who is still nursing a shoulder injury that the team is using extra precaution for.

The team does not want to see Prescott go down in a meaningless game and miss any more time. He spent plenty of time on the sidelines last season missing 11 games and the team would have likely made a playoff appearance had he been healthy.

Even without Prescott, the team should see the return of a different offensive cornerstone. Veteran tackle Tyron Smith is expected to play in Saturday night's game against the Houston Texans. Smith, who missed all but two games last season with a neck injury, has been one of the elite tackles in the game since he arrived in Dallas a decade ago.

In this episode of the "Locked On Cowboys" Podcast, hosts Marcus Mosher and Landon McCool preview the Cowboys' third preseason game as they take on the Texans.

The pair discuss the players they are most interested in seeing, what to expect from the potential debuts of wide receiver Amari Cooper and defensive back Malik Hooker.

Marcus and Landon deal with all that more on this episode of "Locked On Cowboys." Join us here!

CONTINUE READING: Which Cowboys Stars Are In or Out vs. Texans? NFL Tracker