Dallas Cowboys vs. Houston Texans In Week 5 A Battle For Texas Pride

Ever since David Carr and the Houston Texans beat Quincy Carter and the Dallas Cowboys back in 2002, Texans fans have always believed that some sort of rivalry developed from that astonishing win. But the reality of it is that Cowboys fans have always and will probably forever view the Texans as their younger, shorter and scrubbier brother in the NFL. And just like the little brother who is trying so desperately to prove that they are cool enough to hang out with their elder you constantly hear Texans fans brag about their accomplishments — similar to when your little brother gloated about the new bike he got or the cute girl he finally kissed. Meanwhile, as the older brother you would just stand there unimpressed and respond with something like: “Welcome to the party, scrub. Let me know when you actually score with a cute girl.”

Now I realize that with the Cowboys’ recent history they seem more like the flame out brother who is balding and had to return home to live with his parents because he lost his job. But so far this season it’s like the Cowboys have shaved their head, gotten a prescription of Viagra and are back in their own apartment ready to wreck shop while the Texans are still applying for financial aid so they can afford to go off to community college.

However, this week’s battle for Texas is significant because both teams enter with a 3-1 record and they are trying to separate themselves from the rest of the pack with everyone else seemingly having a 2-2 or a 1-3 record. So from a football standpoint, this battle for Texas theme may be a bit of hyperbole but not from a fan standpoint. This matchup means more for the Texans’ fans because it’s another step towards validation for them, but for the Cowboys fans it’s just a reminder that the older brother has to step up to remind the scrubby brother who is actually king in the family.

As far as the game is concerned, the Texans have probably the best defensive player in the game right now in J.J. Watt, and they also have the ever productive Andre Johnson at wide receiver. So far this year they have impressively bounced back from a miserable 2013 campaign, and it appears that they can present quite a challenge if you are not properly prepared.

But the Cowboys have also bounced back, and they have the NFL’s leading rusher in DeMarco Murray and a beast in Dez Bryant at wideout. With the Cowboys playing at home that should give them an advantage, especially with the Texans trotting Ryan Fitzpatrick out at QB. But regardless of what happens in the game, you can certainly expect to see quite a few homes divided on Sunday morning.