As we head toward a Dallas-Houston matchup in Week 4, it is hard to ignore a couple of Cowboys stats that we haven’t seen at this point in the 2026 regular season. Stats aren’t everything, of course, but they can be a reflection of a lack or surplus of overall production.
In Dallas’s case, there are some concerning metrics that haven’t happened yet that you would expect to have through 12 quarters of football.
However, I’m expecting us to see all three this Sunday against the Texans. Here, I’ll talk about these stats and why they matter so much to the Cowboys’ long-term success this season.
1. Quinnen Williams Needs a Sack on Sunday
(Williams averages roughly 6 sacks per season)
The Cowboys traded (and then extended) Quinnen Williams to be the anchor of their defense; because he’s a defensive tackle, that doesn’t mean the sole focus should be sacks, but for a guy with a 12.0 sack season under his belt, it’d be nice to see him get one soon.
Overall, the defense has just two sacks through three weeks, with Caleb Downs recording the only full sack and Donovan Ezeiraku and Jonathan Bullard splitting half of one.
That’s tied for 31st in the NFL, which is obviously not going to cut it. Who better, then, to get the pass rush’s momentum going than Williams? He needs one against Houston.
2. George Pickens Still Has No Touchdowns
(9x TD scorer in 2025 is shut out this season)
After an unbelievable 2025 campaign, the expectations were through the roof for All-Pro receiver George Pickens this year.
While he’s certainly made some plays, there’s also been a few costly drops, and he has yet to get into the end zone. CeeDee Lamb has fully looked like the team’s WR1 again to this point in the season.
For the money he’s going to demand this offseason, it sure would be nice to see Pickens have a huge game against Houston. It should be possible, as well, because Texans star CB Derek Stingley should be following Lamb in Week 4.
Have a day on Sunday, GP.
3. The Cowboys Defense Has 0 Interceptions
(Cowboys are 1/4 teams left in the NFL without an INT)
Lastly, the focus is going on the defensive unit as a whole: they are one of just four NFL defenses that haven’t recorded an interception in the 2026 regular season.
Of course, the secondary especially has gotten the injury bug (which is partly the reason behind the blockbuster Joey Porter Jr. trade), but Christian Parker’s defense cannot be the last unit to record an INT. C.J. Stroud is prone to turnovers, and Dallas needs to force a couple if they want to overcome the Texans’ elite defense.
Was this helpful?
Comments