It may be the Texas summer heat, or maybe the whirling winds of the Lone Star State, but things are looking wildly uneven for NFL fans in Texas.  The Dallas Cowboys lost to the San Diego Chargers with a face-palming 20-7 score on August 21, 2011.  Though the Dallas Cowboys did score some offense early on, thanks to starter Tony Romo, the second and third team offensive lines looked, well, overheated to say the least.  There were noticeable problems with pass protection, as well as backup line problems.  Problem players pointed out by the media include David Arkin, Sam Young and Jermey Parnell.  The Dallas Cowboys have some significant problems with defense, at least this early on in the preseason.

Elsewhere in Texas, the Houston Texans have been riding the unsettled winds to victory.  The usually underperforming team defeated former Super Bowl Champions the New Orleans Saints 27-14.  In contrast to the Cowboys, the Texans’ defense is actually looking very good, and for the second preseason game in a row.  Thus far, we have seen eleven sacks and six turnovers in just two games.  The defense is so good we are actually seeing the offense (from the Saints, no less) of other teams make some crucial mistakes.

The question is, are this preseason exhibitions just illusions, not really indicative of the full NFL season?  Have the Texans been fluking their way through the summer, and are the Cowboys destined to rise to greatness once more?

We’ve been watching the Texans closely, as last year, they delivered some hard hitting performances in the AFC South, and actually defeated Indianapolis and Washington.  Whereas two seasons ago, head coach Gary Kubiak was in hot water, nowadays it appears as if Houston is putting some trust in this solid team builder.  Though the team finished with a 6-10 record in the previous season, they are looking very polished in early 2011.

The Dallas Cowboys don’t have the momentum going into the new season, as they have been on a losing streak for a while.  However, they do have a strong roster of players to fall back on.  The year 2011 is definitely NOT the year to count out Texas sports teams.  Just ask Dallas Mavericks fans!  This could very well be the season that the Cowboys return to greatness, or the first time the Texans reach the playoffs.  What do you think?  Is Dallas or Houston going to progress father this season?