Despite his strong start to the season, James Houston IV continues to be somewhat of an afterthought for Matt Eberflus. Even so, he may have been the unsung hero for the Dallas Cowboys in their Week 4 tie with the Green Bay Packers.
Once again, the young pass-rusher made an impact play, and it may have paved the way for the Cowboys to turn things around after failing to get much going in the first half. This doesn't look like a coincidence anymore.
Cowboys LB James Houston IV Saved the Day Against the Packers
The Cowboys got on the scoreboard late in the first half. Then, with just 21 seconds left, Houston got to Jordan Love. He strip-sacked the Packers' quarterback and recovered the fumble. That put Dak Prescott right in the opposition's 15-yard line, leading to a touchdown pass to George Pickens. The Cowboys, against all odds, took a three-point lead to halftime.
Granted, the defense still gave up 40 points, which is clearly far from ideal. Houston's impact cannot go unnoticed, though. Despite being on the field for just 22 defensive snaps, he may have had the biggest play for Matt Eberflus' unit in the entire game.
The Cowboys Need to Give James Houston More Playing Time
The Cowboys lost their primary pass-rusher in the Micah Parsons trade. That left Sam Williams as the only lock to play most of the snaps, and he's been one of the few bright spots in their pass-rushing unit so far, with Houston being the other.
He's never played more than 30 percent of the team's defensive snaps, yet he has logged three run stops, one sack, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, one pressure, and four tackles. Those numbers might not pop out at first glance, but they certainly stand out when compared to everybody else.
The Cowboys brought back veteran DE Dante Fowler Jr. after he led the Washington Commanders in sacks last season, but he has been a non-factor so far, and he might not even finish the year with the team. Marshawn Kneeland and Donovan Ezeiruaku are promising, but they're young and unproven, and 32-year-old Jadeveon Clowney may only be able to do so much at this point in his career.
Given how the defense has performed, nobody's job should be safe, and Eberflus needs to play whoever is performing at their best, regardless of their pedigree or their salary.