Mandatory Credit: Photo by David J Phillip/AP/Shutterstock (13435875ad) Houston Texans running back Dameon Pierce (31) runs for a touchdown against the Los Angeles Chargers during the first half of an NFL football game, in Houston Chargers Texans Football, Houston, United States – 02 Oct 2022
Dallas Cowboys: Inside the numbers for Week 14
The Dallas Cowboys (9-3) take on the Houston Texans (1-10-1) in the second of four matchups against the AFC South this Sunday afternoon at AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Here is a look inside some of the numbers the Texans will bring into this week’s game.
6 – This will be just the sixth meeting between the two teams that are just a few hours apart. The Cowboys got the honor of being the Texans’ first opponent and first win in Houston’s inaugural season of 2002. After losing that first meeting 19-10, the Cowboys won the next three – 34-6 in 2006, 27-13 in 2010, and 20-17 in 2014. Houston won the last meeting, a 19-16 overtime win at NRG Stadium in the 2018 season.
15.7 – Points per game for the Texans this season. Unbelievable, but they are not last in scoring in the NFL because that belongs to Denver at 13.8. Houston has only reached the 20-point mark in four games this season, scoring a season-high 24 in a Week 4 loss at home to the Chargers. They have scored 10 or fewer points in a game three times this season, the last coming in a 23-10 loss to Washington in Week 11.
50 – Houston cornerback Desmond King is currently the NFL’s leader in kickoff return yards at 50.0 this season. However, he has just the one kickoff return, but on a team that has just a single win through 12 weeks will take anything positive. King is the Texans’ regular punt returner. He has returned 21 punts this season for a meager 184 yards but does have a long of 31.
87.9 – Despite having a running back that ranks in the top 10 in rushing yards this season, the Texans are just 27th in the NFL with just under 88 yards per game on the ground. Dameon Pierce has rushed for 861 yards this season, which puts him tied with Jonathan Taylor for eighth in the league. After Pierce, there is nobody else gaining yards on the ground for Houston. Rex Burkhead and Dare Ogunbowale are the only other running backs on the roster with carries this season, and together they have rushed for just 113 yards.
3,133 – On a team that has struggled all season long to move the football consistently, Cameron Johnston is one of only four punters to surpass the 3,000-yard mark this season. Staying busy by averaging more than five punts per game, Johnston is third in the NFL in gross punting yards, behind only Tennessee’s Ryan Stonehouse (3,533) and Denver’s Corliss Waitman (3,318) and just in front of Washington’s Tress Way (3,101).
4,808 – At just under 5,000 career passing yards, Texans quarterback Davis Mills has already risen to fourth on the team’s all-time passing yards list in just 23 total games played. With 20 quarterbacks that have completed passes in the 20-plus year history of the franchise, Mills still has a long way to go to reach the top three of David Carr (13,391), DeShaun Watson (14,539), and Matt Schaub (23,221).
