3 Questions Texans Must Answer vs. Cowboys: Fixing the Offense

The Houston Texans have a pivotal Week 4 game on the horizon against the Dallas Cowboys, which, depending on how things pan out, could have a major domino effect for the rest of their season.

As the Texans are one of five 0-3 teams left in the NFL, this game is bound to be a must-win matchup. Falling into an 0-4 hole to start the new season is even worse for this Houston roster's playoff aspirations, and has only resulted in a postseason appearance once throughout league history (the 1992 San Diego Chargers).

So if Houston truly wants to keep those playoff hopes alive, they have to walk out of this weekend at home with a win. And in order to do so, they'll have to answer a select few burning questions against the Cowboys to determine whether or not a Week 4 win could truly be in the cards.

Let's sort through three of the biggest questions facing the Texans as they take on their most important game of the season so far against the Cowboys in Week 4:

How High Will Nico Collins Raise the Floor of This Offense?

Aug 20, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (12) catches a ball and warm-ups before the Houston Texans played the Las Vegas Raiders at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Nico Collins appears to be on the right track for a return in Week 4 against the Cowboys, which, if activated on gameday, would mark his first time back on the field since Houston's season opener against the Buffalo Bills.

However, in the time that Collins has been out, this offense has looked far worse than what it did in Week 1. The run game has shown little signs of life, the offensive line still has flaws, and for the receivers outside of the Texans' No. 1 option, they haven't been able to shift the needle much at all.

So now, Collins faces a ton of pressure in Week 4 to help take some of the weight off of this offense's shoulders. Against a Dallas defense that's remained mostly lackluster through three weeks, but just added a new top corner in Joey Porter Jr., it could be a tougher assignment for him to match up with from what the Texans initially expected.

He'll undoubtedly enter as the Texans' leader in targets and yards over the course of the season once again, but just how much his presence will be able to lift Houston's scoring attack out from the depths they've been––especially in his first week back healthy––remains to be seen.

Will the Run Game Have a Chance to Stabilize?

Sep 27, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Houston Texans running back Woody Marks (4) rushes the ball against the Indianapolis Colts in the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What was advertised as a much-improved run game heading into the 2026 season, the Texans' production on the ground has been pretty lackluster in the first three games of the year.

David Montgomery did have three touchdowns in his debut with the team against the Bills. But outside of that eye-catching performance, both Montgomery and Woody Marks have remained largely inefficient, dropping Houston into the bottom three of the NFL for total rushing yards, and the bottom eight for yards per attempt.

This game against the Cowboys offers a bit of an opportunity to get right. Starting right guard Ed Ingram will be trending back to full health after missing the last two weeks, they'll be facing a Dallas run defense ranking near the bottom of the league, and thus might lead to Houston's most productive day on the ground yet.

If Houston can't level up on the ground in this game, it's going to be hard to have hope that things can rebound much moving forward this season. There won't be many better matchups on paper than this one.

How Can the Defense Recover Without Azeez Al-Shaair?

Jul 31, 2026; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair (0) during training camp at Houston Methodist Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While the Texans will have both Nico Collins and Ed Ingram back healthy on the offensive side of the ball, there's a pretty good chance the defense will be without one of their most pivotal playmakers, that being starting middle linebacker and green-dot signal caller, Azeez Al-Shaair.

Al-Shaair's impact on this Houston defense can go largely unnoticed by many. But Texans fans know just how pivotal the Pro Bowl linebacker is to this group's overall success. He's one of the most physical, high-IQ players on that side of the ball as a whole, also leading the team in tackles for the past two seasons.

Without him, the Texans will be forced to lean on the duo of Jake Hansen and Wade Woodaz as their two starting linebackers; a large step below what Houston's used to at the position, and might pose a big mismatch against a highly-powered Cowboys offense; both in the run and in the passing game.

Sign up for our free Houston Texans On SI newsletter, and get breaking Texans news delivered to your inbox daily!

Add us as a preferred source on Google