NFL Preview: Texans Can Compound Cowboys’ Woes

After a dramatic comeback-win over Washington, the Texans will look to move to 3-0 when the Cowboys pay a visit this Sunday.

Houston will get better
Heaven help the rest of the NFL when Brian Cushing’s suspension ends. Houston already owns one of the nastiest defenses around and the return of Cushing in two weeks’ time will only make the Texans even tougher to score against. As it stands Dallas travels to Reliant Stadium without needing to worry about the former USC standout, but with plenty of other issues to address.

First off is the run game. Dallas has simply been inept on the ground. It’s not like the Cowboys have been up against the Ravens or Jets. It is possible to run the ball against teams like Chicago and Washington, especially with the kind of talented running backs on the Dallas roster. Tony Romo has been able to compensate in part by airing it out but this Cowboys team simply cannot win without some semblance of a running game.

Don’t expect any improvement this week in Houston. The Texans have to be the most confident team in the NFL right now. A week 1 win over the Colts was followed up with a stirring comeback at Washington. The Cowboys are a mess right now and won’t be able to handle the Houston offense. Take the Texans as -3.0 favorites with Sports Interaction.

Bengals back on track
A gutsy defense-focused win over Baltimore was just what the doctor ordered for Cincinnati after the Bengals lost at New England in week 1. Now it’s time for the Cincinnati offense to right itself with a road trip against the Panthers. Carson Palmer has been forced to play pretty conservatively in his first two outings of the year but he’s only given up 1 interception while completing 59 percent of his passes. I expect a more aggressive approach from Palmer on Sunday, finally making full use of Terrell Owens and Jermaine Gresham

NFL betting fans should not expect such a turnaround from the Carolina offense. Matt Moore turned out to be much worse than had been hoped and has been benched. Moore played about as well as a career back-up with a limited offense would be expected to play; suffice to say that’s not very good. Through two games he’s completed just 41 percent of his passes, thrown 2 touchdowns and 4 interceptions while being sacked 8 times.

Jimmy Clausen comes in to replace Moore, making his first start in the NFL. The former Notre Dame quarterback has a big arm but that won’t be enough against Cincinnati. The Bengals defense Clausen faces this weekend is a tough baptism for a rookie, so don’t expect any miracles. Bet on Cincinnati as a -3.5 favorite with Sports Interaction.