When the Dallas Cowboys schedule was first released, it looked like they beat the New York Giants and Washington Commanders, but they lost to the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans.
Turns out, getting to 2-2 is going to be a lot messier than we expected, especially with the New York Giants sitting alone atop the NFC East for the first time in a decade. That is a topic for another time.
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The Cowboys go to Houston in full-on desperation mode, looking to avoid a 1-3 start. The only caveat is that the Texans are also desperate, which means they will throw everything they have at Dallas’ high-powered offense.
Dallas walked out with the win, showing they were the tougher team by finishing strong on offense and holding it together (almost) on defense. Lots of high marks are being handed out on report cards this week.
A grades:
CeeDee Lamb (A++)
This is a signature game from CeeDee Lamb. 17 receptions for 189 yards, and the game-winning touchdown was a good day at the office. When the Cowboys needed a play on offense, especially in the second half, they looked to Lamb.
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Schottenheimer keeps the Texans’ defense on their heels by moving him throughout the formation and not keeping to one side. The play design to get him the ball is brilliant, using screens and double moves to exploit his matchups.
Dallas won the Texas battle behind their star wide receiver.
Dak Prescott (A+)
After a week of noise about the Cowboys’ GOTI offense not finishing drives against the Baltimore Ravens, it seems the football gods want to give Dak Prescott a chance at redemption.
Like the Rio game, Dallas had little time on the clock and three points to tie the game, or a touchdown to take the lead. A field goal won’t do it this time. Not if they try to learn from their mistakes.
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After a should-have-been interception landed in the dirt between two Texans defenders, Prescott went to work. Lamb’s final touchdown wasn’t just for the lead. It dispels the narrative that Dallas can’t do it in big moments on offense and gives them confidence when they find themselves in the same moment again.
It took him until the second half to warm up against Houston’s vaunted defense, but Prescott completed 32 of 45 passes for 335 yards and a touchdown. Not bad at all.
Tyler Guyton (A)
Tyler Guyton’s development has been one of the biggest storylines surrounding the Cowboys through the first month of the season. Things look like they’re coming together for the former first-round pick. He still lost some matchups, but that’s life as a tackle in the NFL—nobody’s perfect, but consistency is key.
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Through four weeks, Guyton has not allowed a sack and has only one penalty: a false start against Houston. The Cowboys’ offense has benefited from not having to worry about Prescott’s blindside, and their investment in first-round offensive linemen continues to deliver the success other teams dream of.
The ball of clay has yet to be molded to perfection, but Dallas should be ecstatic about how their left tackle has played so far this season.
Javonte Williams (A)
Javonte Williams had some dirty yards between the 20s, but it was a race day in the red zone. The Cowboys running back had three touchdowns, and the amazing part was that none of them came easy.
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The Cowboys paid Williams this offseason not only for his leadership, but how productive he was in this offense. He is the true bellwether of the team and has shown this year that he is nearly unstoppable in short-yardage situations.
Dallas struggled in the red zone last year because of poor play calling. This year, there have been questionable moments, but one thing is clear: if Dallas has the ball inside the five-yard line, give it to No. 33.
Otito Ogbonnia (A)
The big man deserves to be loved. Defensive tackle Otito Ogbonnia is starting to emerge every week as a run defender. When the Cowboys signed him in free agency this offseason, no one made a big deal about it because run-stuffing defensive linemen don’t pan out the same way cornerback trades do.
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However, Ogbonnia has been very good for the Dallas defense and is a big reason why they have been better at stopping the run in back-to-back weeks. He looks like a younger Jonathan Hankins.
B grades:
George Pickens (B+):
George Pickens may have only two catches in the game, but they were among the most important catches. His 53-yard, no-look, over-the-shoulder, incredulous reception in my eyes was the turning point. Dallas scored on their opening drive of the second half, but Houston responded with a touchdown of their own. The dink-and-dunk offense needed a spark most days, and GP found it by doing what he does best.
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Pickens’ second reception came on the game-winning drive for 22 yards when Prescott found a hole in the coverage and hit him down the left side of the field. Pickens appears to be more contained this year, though he hasn’t received the same targets as last season.
His time will come, but for now, he’s doing everything he can to help his team win.
Quinn Williams (B+)
Williams had another great game for Dallas and looks to fit right into Christian Parker’s plan. He’s played with a similar technique before, but you have to go back to college to find that movie. After being taught something different for a long time, it may take a few weeks for him to feel comfortable.
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Williams showed up in the run game, but his biggest play came on a critical third down where he got to Stroud and brought him down for a sack. That’s the kind of impact defender Dallas not only traded for, but signed to a massive extension in training camp. The momentum looks to be building for Williams, which will be huge for the defense if they want to turn things around.
Joey Porter Jr. (B)
Credit to Joey Porter Jr. for diving into the playbook on short notice and playing meaningful snaps on Sunday. You could tell he was playing with a spring in his step, as a player who never missed being on grass. Porter Jr. is a competitor and not shy to show it.
After harassing DaRon Bland all game by Nico Collins, Porter Jr. got. more snaps in coverage against Collins to limit the damage. CJ Stroud had to change his approach and look elsewhere.
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It’s a small sample size, so he ends up with a B grade. However, this shouldn’t be attributed to him as I’m sure he’ll have plenty of A-grade games this year, as that’s what Dallas players are hoping they trade.
Rashan Gary (B)
Hello, Rashan Gary. It took several weeks, but he finally appeared in defense. His sack of Stroud as he ran down the sideline helped reset the tone on defense after Houston led 10-6. Gary was active all game and put constant pressure on Stroud in the pocket.
Dallas gave up a late-round draft pick for Gary, but expectations were higher than what he showed three weeks into the season. On Sunday in Houston, he lived up to expectations. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come.
KaVontae Turpin (B)
It’s not very often that an All-Pro/Pro Bowl player flies under the radar, but KaVontae Turpin did. He didn’t have much of a role in the offense with the emergence of Ryan Flournoy last season, so he was relegated to being a big part of special teams.
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His kickoff return to start the second half really got the offense going and gave them the boost they were looking for. It’s been back-to-back weeks now that Turpin has had good moments on the return team setting up the offense for scoring.
If the Cowboys defense can force more punts, maybe Turpin can bring the same success to another part of the return game.
C grades:
Darron Bland (C)
DaRon Bland hasn’t been as bad as social media would tell you, but he certainly hasn’t lived up to the contract he was given before the 2025 season. Maybe he is not the same player since his foot injuries or he is playing without confidence. What ever it is, he needs to play better.
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Now, in Bland’s defense, the pass rush needs to improve. Quarterbacks shouldn’t stand in the pocket for five seconds requiring corners to cover for what can feel like a lifetime. Also, if the secondary is still trying to work out their communication issues, it can cause receivers to be wide open.
Now that JPJ is here, Bland might see more targets in his direction. If he can’t find his status in the new scheme, aside from the contract, they could choose to play Cobie Durant or Shavon Revel instead.
D grade:
Jake Ferguson’s (D-) interception
Jesse Holley, former Cowboys wide receiver and current analyst for DLLSwas all over Jake Ferguson all game until his run/pass blocking. To put it politely, Holly was disappointed with what he saw from the Cowboys Pro Bowl tight end.
As a pass catcher, Ferguson proved to be a reliable target for Prescott when he needed a first down or a touchdown in the red zone. He made a great catch on fourth down when Dallas needed to keep their game winning drive moving.
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One area of his game that has been a question mark since joining the Cowboys is in the blocking game. Dallas is asking a lot of their tight ends when it comes to the run game, and especially when they need an extra pass blocker to combat the league’s premiere pass rushers.
Brevyn Spann-Ford is night and day better in the blocking game, so if we see him run over Ferguson more in passing situations, it could be the coaching staff’s way of telling their No. 1 tight end they need more of him.