The Houston Texans arrive at AT&T Stadium in Week 11. It will be the seventh meeting between the two franchises since Houston joined the NFL in 2002.

The Cowboys hold a 4-2 advantage in the win column for the series.

But the Texans are an up and coming team.

After three straight losing seasons, Houston has rebuilt its roster with trades and solid draft picks. A coaching change has also helped the rebuild.

The Texans won the AFC South division last year. They destroyed the Cleveland Browns 45-14 in the wild card round.

But then they got run over by the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round.

Houston will be a tough out in the battle for professional football bragging rights in Texas.

And, since 2016, the Texans have won one more playoff game than the Cowboys have in the same period.

Against The Texans

The first meeting between the two teams came on Sept. 8, 2002, at Reliant Stadium in Houston.

It was the first-ever game for the expansion Texans.

It was also the first NFL regular season game in Houston since the Oilers left for Tennessee in 1996. The last Houston Oilers’ home game was played at the Astrodome on Dec. 15, 1996.

The Oilers lost 21-13 to the Bengals.

But they won their last game as Houston Oilers the following week with a 24-21 win over the Baltimore Ravens.

The Cowboys were favored to win the game against the Texans in 2002. Only no one told that to the home team.

Houston jumped out to a 10-0 lead before the Cowboys rallied to tie it at 10 in the third quarter.

David Carr’s second touchdown pass – a 65-yarder to Corey Bradford – put the Texans up for good with 12:18 left.

Houston’s defense added a safety for the final 19-10 score.

The Cowboys took the Texans a little more seriously in the first-ever meeting at Texas Stadium four years later.

Drew Bledsoe tossed two touchdowns to Terrell Owens and Owens got a third off a pass from Tony Romo in a 34-6 rout by Dallas.

The teams met again in Houston in 2010 and the Cowboys cruised to an easy 27-13. The next three games would be a lot closer.

In 2014, at AT&T Stadium this time, the Texans rallied from 10 points down in the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime.

Dan Bailey’s 49-yard field goal was the winner in the extra frame.

Four years later, Houston improved its home record against the Cowboys to 2-1 with a 19-16 win in overtime.

Brett Maher’s 48-yard field goal tied the game with under six minutes to play. Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 36-yard field goal won it in overtime.

The Cowboys moved to 3-0 at home against the Texans in 2022. Fairbairn hit back-to-back 50+-yard field goals to give Houston a 23-17 lead after three quarters.

Maher answered with a 53-yarder just 10 seconds into the fourth to cut the lead to three.

Ezekiel Elliott punched in a two-yard run with 41 seconds left in the game to give Dallas a 27-23 victory.

Week 11 History

This will be the first Week 11 meeting between the two teams.

The Cowboys are 34-26-2 in Week 11 games in their history. Dallas is 17-10-1 at home and 17-16-1 on the road.

They’ve had two bye weeks – 2013 and 2014 – fall on Week 11.

By hosting the Texans this year, they will end a run of six consecutive season of playing Week 11 on the road.

The Cowboys went 5-1 in those games and have won their last two Week 11 games. The only loss came in 2021 to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in Kansas City.

The last time Dallas played a home game on Week 11 was back in 2017, a 37-9 loss to the Eagles fueled by two second-half Carson Wentz touchdown passes.

Dak Prescott threw three interceptions in the game. The loss dropped the Cowboys to 0-4 against Philadelphia in Week 11 games all-time.

The last Week 11 home game win came in 2016 against the Ravens.

Prescott threw for three touchdowns – two to Dez Bryant – in a 27-17 victory.

Dallas has faced the Cardinals (6-1) and Commanders (5-2) seven times each in Week 11. The 49ers are next at five meetings with Dallas saddled with a 1-3-1 record.

The tie against San Francisco came at home on Thanksgiving Day in 1969, a 24-24 final at Texas Stadium. The Cowboys had trailed 14-0 after the first quarter.

Their other Week 11 tie was in Dallas’ first season, a 31-31 tie with the Giants in New York in the next-to-last game of the 0-11-1 season.

My Prediction

(based on rosters as of today)

The Texans will get their first win in Dallas and be crowned the Kings of Pro Football in Texas.

Predicted season record: 3-7.