2026 Season | Week 4 | Gameday Chatter Thread | Cowboys @ Texans | 10/04/2026

While I still think Schottenheimer is a zero value add at HC that will ultimately doom the season, I'm going to try to be optimistic in the moment.

This was probably the biggest win since 2023 given how the rest of the season stacks up. The Philly and KC wins last year were awesome but there was almost no chance at winning the division and the chances of making the playoffs at that point were pretty slim, and 2024 was cooked from the start.

I said two weeks ago just give me 2-2 after Baltimore/Houston and I like our chances given our schedule the rest of the year, but given how weak the division has become since then with Dart's injury and the Eagles offense somehow looking worse than it was last year, I think you have to give us the slight edge to win the division.

It's hard to overstate how impressive the offense scoring 4 TD's on 5 drives in the second half against that defense is, while trailing on every drive. The Texans have probably the best secondary in the league and the best edge rushers in the league, to do that on the road while trailing and without a whole lot from the run game tells me this offense is more or less unstoppable when they're on.

With the defense showing signs of life here and there, I think that should be enough to win the division at 10-7, maybe even 9-8 depending on tiebreakers and such. Our schedule is about to get really light over the next 6 weeks or so, and I don't think it's unrealistic to expect to be 7-4 going into Thanksgiving.
 
And while Steele is definitely largely a piece of shit, he held up 1-on-1 several times against Anderson, and on the last drive in particular where Dak had plenty of time.

I thought I was hallucinating watching him give Dak time lined up across from Anderson, but here we are.
 
As a fellow Badger, I am sad.


This is fucking ridiculous. Get this motherfucker off of the field. He can't block. He can't catch. He can't hold onto to the ball when he does happen to catch it. He can't run for shit. Why is he playing besides that contract?
 
Oh I won't forget. I'm starting to wish we didn't invest in Aubrey. It has become a terrible crutch.
And he’s starting to miss the ones that he was money on. That’s an even bigger issue.

If you can’t make the long kicks, then you arent anymore of a weapon than the next guy. Hell, the Houston kicker nailed a 54 yarder that was probably good from 60.
Aubrey missed from 62 and had one blocked at 60 I believe. Or maybe it was reversed. Doesn’t matter, point still stands.
 
Aren't there an incredible number of injuries this year through only four games?

Maybe soft camps, no pads, and flying all over creation to play games on three days rest isn't good for the human body.
I might be wrong but it seems like there are a ton more non contact Achilles/ACL injuries since these soft camps were instituted.
 

I'm really impressed by the type of QB he's become.

He has far surpassed what I ever thought he was capable of coming out of college, but he's at a point now where he isn't just putting up impressive numbers, he's gotten quite good at reading defenses and diagnosing coverages.

He made several adjustments at the line that paid off big time that ranged everywhere from checking to different plays, to calling for receiver hot routes, and even making o-line protection changes.

And that 2 min drive to win the game had to be big for his confidence too.

If this defense can become respectable as they get healthy, and our HC doesn't blow a close game with an idiotic call or a decision, we have a chance to be a really good football team this year.
 
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I'm really impressed by the type of QB he's become.

He has far surpassed what I ever thought he was capable of coming out of college, but he's at a point now where he isn't just putting up impressive numbers, he's gotten quite good at reading defenses and diagnosing coverages.

He made several adjustments at the line that paid off big time that ranged everywhere from checking to different plays, to calling for receiver hot routes, and even making o-line protection changes.

And that 2 min drive to win the game had to be big for his confidence too.

If this defense can become respectable as they get healthy, and our HC doesn't blow a close game with an idiotic call or a decision, we have a chance to be a really good football team this year.

Dak is now basically what Romo became in 2014, a veteran who has seen it all, but is still young enough to not have fallen off physically yet. 2014 was Romo's best year and we all lament losing him to injuries when it just seemed like he was starting to peak.

I think that's what Prescott is now and I think it's why keeping Pickens on a 3-4 year deal is so important. Sometime around 36-38 Dak will start falling off physically, and if we let Pickens go it will take at least a year or two to find a replacement and for Dak to build rapport with the replacement, if at all.

We already know that Lamb/Pickens are unstoppable, Dak is starting to reach that next level of vet QB play that Romo reached in 2014, and with Guyton developing we will have a very good to possibly even elite OL over the next few years, so why fuck with that when you might only have 2-3 more years of it given Dak's age?

I know Pickens is probably a ticking time bomb, but as long as Dak and Lamb are around he'll stay in line. Do whatever you have to do to keep him (cut Bland, cut Steele, cut Ferguson, whatever), because this combo of Dak/Lamb/Pickens is something truly special that doesn't come around often.
 
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