One of the biggest games of the NFL’s Week 5 lineup kicks off today at 1pm EST at AT&T Stadium between the Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys. Yes, Houston and Dallas, two teams that nobody expected to have dominant 3-1 records and looking seriously at playoff contention. The Cowboys are the bigger surprise on offense, though the Texans getting three wins without top pick Jadeveon Clowney and with JJ Watt playing offense is a puzzler.
Cowboys QB Tony Romo has played lights out through three weeks. With a 80.8 QBR (in the NFL) and 7 touchdowns to go with his 936 yards, Romo has been good enough to silence his critics. In last week’s 38-17 win over the Saints, Romo was 22 of 29 for 262 yards and three touchdowns, and the Cowboys offense piled up 445 yards.
Yet as for much of the season, it was running back DeMarco Murray who stole the show. Murray last Sunday rushed for 149 yards and 2 TDs, twice exploding for 28-yard gains. For the season, Murray has 534 yards and has led Dallas to the top-ranked rushing offense in the NFL with 165 yards per game.
By comparison, Houston hasn’t done anything particularly well, with stats that fall in the middle of the pack. But they’ve done enough to earn wins in spite of star rookie defensive end Jadeveon Clowney being out due to injury.
One of their tricks has been playing defensive All-Pro JJ Watt on offense, where he’s scored a touchdown as tight end. Another has been unleashing QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick has passed for 902 yards and 5 TDs this season. He could continue that trend today against a Cowboys defense that let Rams QB Austin Davis put up 448 yards.
This Texas showdown could frankly be one for the ages. You can watch the Houston Texans take on the Dallas Cowboys live on CBS. Kickoff is scheduled for 1pm EST / 10am PST. You can also watch Houston Texans vs Dallas Cowboys online free live stream NFL Week 5 using the CBS Sports website or DirecTV’s website. The latter requires you to have an NFL Sunday Ticket with MAX subscription, but all subscribers can watch the game online free using a smartphone, tablet or PC.
