Dallas Cowboys scouting report: Dissecting the Houston

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Texans offense Sunday night football. Nothing more fun than kicking back on a Sunday night Youth Chidobe Awuzie Jersey , turning on the big screen and watching America’s team take on their in-state rival, the Houston Texans. The Cowboys defense had some hiccups last weekend against the Detroit Lions, and as we touched on last week, the Lions win by using play-action and attacking the back end of the secondary. The Texans win in very similar ways, so let’s take a look at what the Cowboys defense can do to stop them.Keep Deshaun Watson in the pocketWhen defending the Houston Texans passing game, the last thing you want to do is allow Deshaun Watson to get outside of the pocket. Watson seems to be much more comfortable throwing the football when on the move or extending plays. This issomething the Cowboys secondary will have to know heading into Sunday night’s game. The last thing Byron Jones, Chidobe Awuzie, and Anthony Brown can do is get caught with their eyes in the backfield when defending DeAndre Hopkins, Will Fuller, and the rookie Keke Coutee.Play - 1: Watson sifting through pressure and delivering a dimeThis is where Watson is at his best. When he gets outside of the pocket, look out. Here he does an excellent job of handling the blitz, breaking a tackle attempt, and delivering a beautiful ball down field to DeAndre Hopkins. With Watson at quarterback, the play doesn’t end until the whistle is blown, do not get caught with eyes in the backfield, or with your guard down.Play - 2: Extending the play with his legsYes, Deshaun Watson can kill you with his arm when extending plays, but he can also kill you with his legs, which makes him really tough to defend. Watson plays the quarterback position very similar to players such as Cam Newton and Alex Smith, in the sense that when the play breaks down, it’s actually just getting started. When applying pressure on Watson, the last thing you want to happen is for him to shake off your tackle attempt, slip outside of the pocket and start his track downfield. On Sunday night, when DeMarcus Lawrence, Tyrone Crawford, Randy Gregory, and others get in the backfield, they need to be sure to wrap-and-roll Watson to finish the sack, without getting called for roughing the passer.Texans lack threat of running the footballThe Texan-tandem of Lamar Miller and Alfred Blue has struggled to get anything going on the ground so far in 2018. Through four weeks, Miller has carried the ball 58 times, for 225 yards, and zero touchdowns. Miller is dealing with a chest injury, and is questionable for the game, but even with his lack of success and injury issues, he is not a guy you can completely ignore. Miller has shown good vision throughout his career, the ability to break tackles, and catch the ball out of the backfield. The Cowboys will likely play the Texans running game similar to the way they played the Lions last week.Play - 1: Miller bouncing it outside for a nice gainYou won’t see Lamar Miller break off big run after big run, but he does have the ability to break off a nice run or two throughout a game. The Texans run a lot of outside/inside zone http://www.cowboysauthorizedshops.com/a ... nes-jersey , and do a lot of creative things with their offensive line to open up holes for Miller to run through. Leighton Vander Esch and Jaylon Smith will need to be on their “A” game on Sunday night, being sure to stay in their gaps as the defensive ends work to set the edge. The Texans run game is the least of Rod Marinelli’s worries on Sunday, but we’ve seen the Cowboys defense struggle with weaker running games in years past.Containing Hopkins, Fuller, Coutee will be key to successThe Houston Texans have one of the best wide receiver trio’s in the NFL with DeAndre Hopkins, Will Fuller, and rookie Keke Coutee. Through four weeks, Hopkins already has 30 receptions, 443 yards, and two touchdowns on the season. Hopkins is one of the top three wide receivers in the NFL. HIs partner on the other side of the field isn’t to shabby either. Will Fuller always puts up pretty ridiculous numbers, but has struggled to stay healthy throughout his young career. A name you may not be familiar with, but need to be, is rookie wide receiver Keke Coutee. Coutee was one of my favorite mid-round receivers coming out of the 2018 NFL Draft out of Texas Tech. Coutee is a good route runner, with great speed and the ability to track the ball down field with ease.Play -1 : Watson to Fuller deep threat connectThis connection has been fun to watch over the last two seasons. While Hopkins is no doubt the better talent, Will Fuller and Deshaun Watson have built a really great connection over the last two years. Fuller does most of his damage down the field in the vertical passing game showcasing his speed and ability to separate. Fuller is also known for his drops, but while he can help you out by dropping the football, he can also kill you by making plays like the one above throughout an entire game. The Cowboys would be wise to show a safety shade to Fuller’s side of the field to protect the over the top ball to Fuller. The safety play for the Cowboys has been rather suspect over the last two weeks, they will need to play much better this week against a very talented WR group. Play-2: Hopkins becomes an immediate weapon in the red-zoneHopkins is great because he can do it all. Not only does he help get the Texans down the field with his route running, yards after catch, and tough contested catches, but he’s also one of the best red-zone wide receivers in the NFL. The Cowboys do not usually travel corners with star receivers, but it may not be a bad idea to allow Byron Jones to travel with Hopkins when the Texans get inside the red-zone. Byron’s length and athleticism, may matchup well against Hopkins size, and physicality. Play-3: Keke Coutee is a star in the makingIt’s been just one game for Texans 2018 fourth-round pick, but he has already made his mark with the Texans. Coutee can win in a variety of ways; in the slot, outside, and even running the football. He is electric with the ball in his hands due to his 4.43 speed and ability to make a man miss at anytime. Coutee is still the Texans third best receiver, but he’s one that will likely give Anthony Brown, his toughest test of the season so far. Texans offensive line continues to be poorThe Texans have been working to rebuild their offensive line for the last few years using the NFL Draft and free agency. Unfortunately for them, they have still yet to see the results pay off in a positive fashion. The Texans have already began shuffling bodies along the OL looking for any kind of answers they can find. Kendall Lamm was given a promotion to right tackle after second-year tackle Julie’n Davenport has struggled to be productive. Yes.... that noise you hear is DeMarcus Lawrence squealing, waiting to feast yet again. To make matters worse for the Texans, right guard Zach Fulton hasn’t been much better. Things don’t get much better for the left side of the line either for the Texans. Rookie tackle Martinas Rankin has had struggles.Play-1: Texans have struggled to handle ET/TE stunts, something Cowboys have executed wellThe Cowboys are a defense that run a lot of twist, stunts, and other exotic rushes to get their pass rushers home. This is something the Texans have struggled with a lot so far in 2018. With DeMarcus Lawrence lined up as the strong-side defensive end, with either Tyrone Crawford lined up beside him, this combination should give the inexperienced right side of the offensive line fits for the entirety of the game. Lawrence is slated to have another huge game working against a backup RT, and the Cowboys pass rush should be in for a big day if they can get Deshaun Watson to the ground. Josh Gordon's troubled tenure with the Cleveland Browns has ended.The team isn't going to help him any longer. He let them down for the final time.The Browns announced Saturday night that it intends to release the former Pro Bowl wide receiver Zack Martin Jersey , whose immense talent has been overshadowed by substance abuse that has derailed a promising career.The stunning news came just hours after the Browns said Gordon would miss Sunday's game in New Orleans with a mysterious hamstring injury. Gordon has been suspended by the NFL for most of the past four seasons because of multiple drug violations, and the Browns have been supportive of the 27-year-old for years as he tried to get his life together.Not anymore."This afternoon we informed Josh Gordon and his representatives that we are going to release him on Monday," general manager John Dorsey said in a statement. "For the past six years, the Browns have fully supported and invested in Josh, both personally and professionally and wanted the best for him, but unfortunately we've reached a point where we feel it's best to part ways and move forward. We wish Josh well."The team provided no specifics about what prompted their decision to part ways with Gordon. He reported to the team's headquarters earlier in the day, and spokesman said Gordon was evaluated by doctors and the decision was made to keep him home because of the hamstring.Gordon posted a message on his Instagram account thanking the city of Cleveland."This place will always feel like home to me," Gordon said. "''I'm extremely honored and blessed to grow up and start a life amongst such a passionate and motivated group of individuals. It's been a hell of a journey with you guys. I wish all of you nothing but the best."Gordon went on to thank the Browns "for having me. I'll never forget me time here. Same book, next chapter."He ended the post with, "P.S. Anybody need a deep threat WR??"It's unclear what his imminent release means for Gordon's playing future. Gordon was in the league's substance-abuse program and if he failed another drug test, he could be facing more discipline.It's possible the Browns will try to trade Gordon before Monday so they can recoup something for a player whose has wasted his massive potential. If Cleveland releases Gordon, he'll be a free agent and can sign anywhere.Losing Gordon is a major blow to Cleveland's offense. The Browns have receivers Jarvis Landry, rookie Antonio Callaway and Rashard Higgins, but none of them poses the same deep-field threat as the 6-foot-3, 225-pound Gordon who has breakaway speed.The Browns have had negotiations with former Dallas star Dez Bryant, but the sides have not been able to work out a deal.Gordon missed three weeks of training camp this summer to undergo counseling and treatment, and he recently said he was in a good place mentally and physically.Gordon played in last week's season opener against Pittsburgh, his first appearance in a Week 1 game since 2012, when he was a rookie.On Wednesday, Gordon, who played 69 snaps last week, said he was glad to have the opener behind him and was looking forward to playing the Saints."Physically I felt great," he said. "It was good to get that experience and that feeling underneath me, especially an overtime game, the weather and everything, the amount of snaps and reps, it's good for my body to feel that. I feel great now. I felt great during the game, it was just good to see that my motor was at a decent point at that late in the game."Gordon was expected to have an expanded role this week against the Saints after being targeted just three times in a 21-21 tie against the Steelers. He caught a game-tying, 17-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, but was mostly used as a decoy.Gordon started the opener despite coach Hue Jackson saying he wouldn't be on the field for the first snap as punishment for missing camp. Jackson blamed Gordon's appearance on the first play a "mistake" and "miscommunication," and Gordon said he was shocked to be on the field.Jackson refused to elaborate on the situation this week, saying he and the coaching staff wanted to "move on."Gordon emerged as one of pro football's most dynamic players in 2013, when he led the league with 1,646 yards receiving and scored nine touchdowns. However, he's been in a downward spiral since and Gordon by Commissioner Roger Goodell for the entire 2015 and 2016 seasons.He sat out the first 11 games last year before returning for Cleveland's final five games, and caught 18 passes for 335 yards and one touchdown.His teammates had been encouraged by Gordon's commitment to staying clean and turning his life around. Other than his unexpected absence from training camp, Gordon had been a solid teammate and there was hope he had finally turned the corner after so many setbacks.The Browns selected Gordon in the 2012 supplemental draft despite his background of drug use in college.