The battle of Texas is underway, as the (9-3) Dallas Cowboys take on the (1-10-1) Houston Texans. As we do every week, let's dive into the over/under reactions going into week 14.
OVERREACTION
Cowboys' WR James Washington is going to have an impressive game.
You can definitely look at this as an overreaction, seeing as this will be the first game James Washington has played in a Cowboys uniform. Since suffering a foot injury during training camp back in August, Washington has been on injured reserve for most of the season and looks ready to get his first start.
Not only has Washington been sidelined for his injury, but you could also say the flirtation between the Cowboys and possibly signing Odell Beckham Jr. has kept Washington from seeing the field. If the Cowboys were to sign Beckham, they would need to make room for him on the roster. Seeing as Washington had yet to take a snap for Dallas, it seemed like Washington might be the player who gets cut to make room for Beckham.
With Beckham's status and playing ability being uncertain at this time, the Cowboys are pulling the trigger on activating Washington to see what he could bring to this offense. Washington is known as a deep-ball threat with his speed to advance down the field, and the Cowboys have lacked this type of receiver on their team.
It is very reasonable to believe that James Washington will be coming into this game with a chip on his shoulder and will be aiming to prove why he deserves to be on this roster. I expect QB Dak Prescott to take some shots down the field to Washington to try and get him involved early. If the Cowboys can find some success with Washington during this game, then the Cowboys may not need to be in the fold for Odell Beckham Jr. any longer.
CeeDee Lamb on Cowboys WR James Washington: “I've been playing against him since college, to see him out here again, running around in practice, very explosive. He's your deep-threat guy. So just be careful. That's all I've got to say.”
Cowboys notebook: https://t.co/cp7BnaqshO
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) December 10, 2022
UNDERREACTION
Texans' RB Dameon Pierce could be a problem for this defense.
The Cowboys' defense has most definitely improved from earlier in the season when they were getting gashed in the running game. However, stopping the run still seems to be the weakest point of this Dallas defense. The Houston Texans will be without two of their top wide receivers, and with an already shaky lineup that doesn't feature much star power, the Texans will likely lean on handing the ball off to Dameon Pierce multiple times throughout this game.
Let's be honest – the Texans do not match up to the Cowboys at any level on their team. They have one of, if not the weakest roster in the NFL. However, you cannot overlook any team in the league. Upsets happen, and the Cowboys must be aware of this and not play down to the level of the Texans. The Cowboys should know that Houston will likely be running the ball all game. If Dallas can tighten up their run defense to stop Pierce, then the Cowboys' pass rush will have a field day getting after the quarterback.
If the Cowboys could put up 40 points against the Vikings and over 50 points against the Colts, then we might see a ‘60 burger' today.
