ARLINGTON, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys beat the Houston Texans 34-0 in preseason week three. The Cowboys dominated the gridiron in all three phases of the game: defense, offense, and special teams.
Defensively, Dallas held Houston out of the end zone throughout the matchup with the defensive line’s explosiveness at the line of scrimmage and solid pass rush. The defense totaled eight sacks with 38 yards lost. Taco Charlton had a standout game with two sacks and two quarterback hits. He made an impact early on to bring the momentum to the Cowboys. In addition, C.J. Goodwin and Donovan Wilson both had interceptions during the game to help turn the tide in favor of Dallas.
Offensively, Michael Gallup caught a contested catch on a 12-yard pass from Dak Prescott in the end zone to give the Cowboys an early lead. The ‘X’ receiver is a continuous go-to target for Dak in critical game situations and has had an outstanding offseason. A newcomer who is battling for a No.5 spot on the receiver depth chart is Devin Smith. He is certainly a contender with his touchdown against the Rams and his production level vs. the Texans. On Saturday night he led the team in receptions (6), receiving yards (79), and averaged 13.2 yards after the catch.
I asked Dak Prescott about Smith’s development following the game and he said,
“ Devin is a great player. Was a second round pick and has dealt with some injuries. I think all you’re seeing is a guy who is getting his confidence back, getting his confidence back from those injuries and just being able to go out there. You saw the catches he made tonight- some contested catches, some hard catches, a touchdown last week; He’s doing everything the coaches ask him and he is a guy who is all ears wanting to learn and know what he can do better. He wants to be on the same page with the quarterbacks and he’s done a great job. Excited about him.”
On special team’s, Joe Thomas had the play of the night. The middle linebacker blocked a punt and recovered the football for the touchdown. He helped extend the team’s lead and also got his hand on a ball to disrupt the pass several plays later. That type of physicality is exactly what the coaching staff likes to see.
All around great dress rehearsal game for the Cowboys with several playmakers surfacing!
