The 2026 NFL season will characteristic the eighth ever version of The Governor’s Cup, which is the assembly between the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans. With the final two all-Texas professional soccer conferences coming in Arlington in 2022 and 2024, it’s time for the Cowboys to go to the Texans in Houston for the primary time since 2018.
With our preview sequence shifting in the direction of a number of the perceived hardest video games on the Cowboys schedule, the Texans would be the first non-divisional opponent the Cowboys play within the continental United States this season. Previous to this week 4 battle, the Cowboys will play on the Giants, versus the Commanders, and in Brazil in opposition to the Ravens, earlier than week 4 on the Texans in one in every of 5 scheduled early kickoff window video games.
The Texans are 18-8 at dwelling underneath head coach DeMeco Ryans since 2023, going 7-2 final 12 months whereas holding six of their 9 dwelling opponents to twenty factors or much less. It was this protection that led the Texans to a 3rd straight look within the Divisional playoffs, however but once more that is the place they exited after the offense was shut down by the eventual AFC champion Patriots.
The Texans have additional dedicated to bolstering the protection this offseason, one that’s anticipated to be among the many league’s finest but once more, however completely couldn’t come away from the offseason with out some sort of splash on offense too. They did so by buying and selling for Lions operating again David Montgomery, pairing him with Woody Marks out of the backfield and Nico Collins, Jayden Higgins, and Tank Dell at broad receiver.
The Cowboys personal offense has sky excessive expectations coming into this season, and one of many issues they need to be out to reply early is how they play in opposition to premier defensive minds. Beginning the season in opposition to John Harbaugh, Dan Quinn, Jesse Minter, after which this Texans protection will give some early solutions right here.
Curiously sufficient, the three coaches listed above together with Ryans for Houston are usually not simply defensive coordinators for his or her groups, they’re head coaches with a uncommon give attention to protection in right now’s sport. How Brian Schottenheimer because the Cowboys’ offensive-minded head coach offers will with this early season strain and assaults the Texans protection is a query nonetheless with some ready to be finished earlier than answering, however till then we will take a better have a look at the totality of what the Texans have finished this offseason.
(Photograph by Stacy Revere/Getty Photos) Getty Photos
Texans Key Free Agent Signings/Departures
DT Sheldon Rankins (Re-signed)OL Trent Brown (Re-signed)SAF M.J. Stewart (Re-signed)
The Texans will carry again their prime 4 cross catchers from a 12 months in the past in Schultz, Nico Collins, Jayden Higgins, and Xavier Hutchinson, making offensive line the following precedence to have a sustainable offense round C.J. Stroud that may go deeper within the playoffs.
Wyatt Teller and Braden Smith mission as new starters at guard and sort out, however include high quality expertise and the kind of imply streak this Houston crew values virtually throughout the board in any respect positions to present them a bodily and difficult identification. The Texans are curiously constructed to embrace the heavy formation development anticipated to take the NFL by storm this season, with Schultz and FA addition Foster Moreau at tight finish, a retooled offensive line, and receivers like Collins and Higgins that may win out of the slot or from condensed formations.
Shedding Kirk and Berrios in free company does skinny the depth chart at broad receiver for gamers that match this mildew for Houston, however the web positives this group achieved on offense whereas bringing in sturdy reinforcements on protection ought to have them very enthusiastic about their positioning within the AFC South. Essentially the most notable defensive addition right here is Reed Blankenship coming over from the Eagles, giving the Texans a troublesome security group of Blankenship, Jalen Pitre, and Calen Bullock.
The Texans did transfer on from former Cowboys linebacker Damone Clark in free company, who was most just lately with the Lions in 2025. They just lately added final 12 months’s sack chief for the Cowboys although, a reunion with veteran Jadeveon Clowney, bringing his profession again to Houston after being their first general decide in 2014. The Cowboys returning expertise alongside the offensive line ought to know a lot about methods to take care of Clowney, but when he nonetheless has as a lot juice left within the tank as he confirmed in Dallas on an in any other case horrible protection, the matchup won’t be straightforward.
The Texans additionally misplaced Tim Settle in free company, however now the Cowboys will doubtlessly nonetheless play in opposition to him twice this season too, as he signed with the Washington Commanders.
Defensive sort out Kayden McDonald Getty Photos
Spherical 1, Decide 26: G Keylan RutledgeRound 2, Decide 4 (36 Total): DT Kayden McDonaldRound 2, Decide 27 (59 Total): TE Marlin KleinRound 4, Decide 6 (106 Total): G Febechi NwaiwuRound 4, Decide 23 (123 Total): LB Wade WoodazRound 5, Decide 1 (141 Total): SAF Kamari RamseyRound 6, Decide 23 (204 Total): WR Lewis BondRound 7, Decide 27 (243 Total): LB Aiden Fisher
The Texans dedication to being a power within the trenches was simply getting began in free company. Beginning their draft with probably the greatest run blockers, Keylan Rutledge out of Georgia Tech, within the first spherical, and Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald as a people-mover at defensive sort out, additional embraced the identification they’re on the lookout for.
The remainder of this draft class additionally reveals off good drafting by the Texans, as they went for prospects that may slide onto depth charts the place established expertise is already in place and expectations could be tempered. We’ve already talked about each Schultz and Moreau at tight finish, which leaves room for rookie Marlin Klein because the crew’s second of two second-round picks to develop. The identical goes for Nwaiwu at guard, Woodaz at linebacker, and Ramsey at security.
The Texans fanbase, clearly one of many newer ones within the NFL at massive, has totally embraced the final three seasons underneath Ryans the place the crew’s identification has been on hard-nosed protection. In 12 months two of coach Schotty’s give attention to trench play, physicality, and tradition, Dallas will go toe-to-toe with a Texans crew valuing most of the similar issues.
Texans 2026 Teaching Modifications
*New to employees this season:
The Texans may have the identical defensive, offensive, and particular groups coordinator underneath Ryans in 2026, with ST coordinator Frank Ross being the longest-tenured of the bunch as a employees member since 2021. Even two of the positions we’ve highlighted as pivotal for Houston this 12 months, security and operating again, have returning coaches with expertise in Danny Barrett as assistant HC and RB coach and Stephen Adegoke who’s been teaching safeties since 2023. To date for our preview sequence, the Texans have far and away essentially the most teaching continuity, with solely tight ends coach James Ferentz making the checklist of latest hires.
The Texans let the division slip away for the primary time since 2023 final 12 months regardless of successful two extra video games than their earlier South-winning seasons underneath Ryans, by means of the upstart Jaguars with first 12 months HC Liam Coen going 13-4. They are going to put their protection to the take a look at at the beginning of the season in opposition to Josh Allen, Joe Burrow, the Colts in week three, then Dak Prescott and the Cowboys adopted by their remaining division opponents the Titans and Jags again to again in weeks 5 and 6. It is going to be revealing early for the Texans, and frames the Cowboys sport as one with heightened significance even past the state bragging rights.
Earlier 2026 Opponent Previews:
