By admin 
The Houston Texans gave up 28 second-half points in Sunday’s 34-30 loss to the Dallas Cowboys to drop to 0-4. Locked On Texans host and football analyst John Hickman argued that the collapse put Houston’s defensive approach, not simply its execution, at the center of the team’s early-season problem.
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Hickman focused on the lack of answers for Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who finished with 17 receptions on 21 targets for 189 yards and a touchdown. He criticized Houston for failing to give Lamb enough extra attention after Dallas found traction in the second half.
The host singled out Texans safety Jalen Pitre’s coverage situations as part of the issue, but his broader complaint was directed at the staff. Hickman said the Texans stayed too predictable in zone coverage and did not adjust after halftime. He called the defensive performance “inexcusable” and said, “The league has figured out this defense.”
That is a sharp criticism of Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans and defensive coordinator Matt Burke, whose unit had held Dallas to six first-half points before allowing two touchdowns in each of the final two quarters. The Texans have enough front-line talent to make the loss troubling, Hickman argued, but the fourth-quarter breakdown made the secondary and the scheme inseparable issues.
The offensive side made the loss tougher to absorb. Quarterback C.J. Stroud completed 21 of 31 passes for 347 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions against Dallas. Hickman praised Stroud’s command of the offense and said the quarterback’s performance made it harder to excuse a game in which Houston scored 30 points and still could not close.
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Houston’s next chance to stop the skid comes Sunday, Oct. 11, at the Tennessee Titans. For the Texans, the immediate task is finding a defensive answer that holds after halftime, not merely building another productive day from Stroud.
Texans News and Notes
– Hickman said Houston running back Woody Marks deserves a larger role in the ground game than fellow running back David Montgomery. That is a personnel recommendation, not a reported depth-chart change, but it reflects the host’s concern that Houston has not created enough consistent rushing production.
– Discipline was another focus. Hickman cited 13 penalties for 90 yards against Dallas and pointed to early special teams penalties as mistakes that repeatedly put the Texans offense in poor field position.
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This story was originally published October 4, 2026 at 10:17 PM.