Mike McCarthy Reveals Plan for Cowboys Starters in Preseason Week 2

The 2021 NFL preseason hasn't begun the way that the Dallas Cowboys had hoped for. The Cowboys have dropped their first two games and will look to avoid going 0-3 as they take on the Houston Texans this Saturday.

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy revealed his Week 2 preseason plan for Dallas' starters ahead of practice on Friday. When it comes to defense, McCarthy said that those starters will likely play for the entirety of the first half as they "reflect more where you like to be in this third game." However, the offense is another story.

Dallas Cowboys vs Houston Texans Preseason Week 2

McCarthy said that Cowboys fans likely won't see a lot of the team's offensive starters against the Texans. A few of those players are dealing with injuries and the coach has already ruled out both No. 1 RB Ezekiel Elliott and No. QB Dak Prescott from the contest.

The good news is that offensive linemen Tyron Smith, La'el Collins and Zack Martin are all expected to see at least some time on the field. Considering how Dallas surrendered 2.8 sacks per game in 2020 (seventh-highest average), it'll be nice to see how the o-line is shaping up so far — even if it's for a brief time.

It'll also be good to see who out of Garrett Gilbert, Ben DiNucci and Cooper Rush emerges as the Cowboys backup quarterback. The trio has looked fairly even up to this point in the preseason, so a major showing against the Texans may be the last opportunity to solidify their respective cases.

FanDuel Sportsbook is favoring the Cowboys to defeat the Texans on Saturday at -175 odds. Meanwhile, Houston will enter the matchup as the +150 underdog.

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