On a night where Andrew Luck, the Texans slayer himself, waived goodbye to the NFL and Houston nightmares forever, it would have been more than enough for the defensive line to show up. A great night would have been the appropriate way to celebrate the departure of their greatest offensive woe.
This was not the case as the Dallas Cowboys shutout the Texans 34-0 Saturday night at AT&T Stadium.
The Cowboys offense hummed all night, to the tune of 362 total yards. The Dallas quarterbacks never looked too comfortable but also never fully challenged. The defensive line was able to generate 7 total quarterback pressures but only defensive tackle Tracy Sprinkle would fully get home for the sole sack of the game. Rookie defensive end Charles Omenihu would provide 3 of those quarterback hits just by himself.
For the run defense, the Texans would allow for five running backs to combine for over a hundred yards on the night. They would only muster 2 tackles for loss on the night. To be optimistic, rookie defensive tackle Albert Huggins would have a strong showing in this department.
For the third preseason game, the dress rehearsal where you’d like to flash potential, it was disappointing. This team had a mixed bag of results. Three offensive linemen won’t be ready until Week 1, if that, in left tackle Matt Kalil, rookie Tytus Howard, and interior backup Greg Mancz. Throw in the Miller injury to create chaos atop the running back depth chart. Will the Houston Texans trade for offensive line help? Are they going to trade edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney? These ambiguous situations surround the Texans, who kickoff the regular season Sept. 9 on Monday Night Football in New Orleans.
There are certainly still studs on the defensive line. J.J. Watt and D.J. Reader are some of the best in the league at their positions, respectively. However, this kind of performance makes one wonder if maybe they should maybe reconsider moving off one of the most ferocious players in football.
Then again, that’s for the general manager to decide.
