NFL Missing Out on Texans, Cowboys Rivalry

As Houstonist anticipates this Friday's pre-season match-up in Irving, Texas between the Texans and Cowboys, Houstonist was wondering why it isn't an annual regular season game?

Since November 10, 1991, The Dallas Cowboys and the Houston Oilers and Houston Texans have met for a total of four times in a regular season game. Yeah, Houstonist knows the crazy NFL scheduling that you play teams not in your division every four years and that the city was without a football team for five years, but sometimes things need to change. The NFL needs to have the Texans and Cowboys playing every single year in a regular season game.

There's nothing else to debate. When you think of Houston v. Dallas in anything, you think of pure hatred for the other city. And it ain't pretty. Houstonist has been in the stands quite a few times when fisticuffs have broken out. And that includes Rockets, Mavericks and Astros, Rangers as well. If you were at last year's Texans, Cowboys pre-season game at Reliant Stadium, you know it didn't feel like a pre-season game. It was loud. It was rowdy. And 70,512 Texans fans were standing the entire game as they went home happy with a 28-16 victory.

When you think of the Lone Star State, you think of mad-hungry football fans. You think of Friday Night Lights. So it only makes sense to have two Texas teams battle it out year in and year out for Texas supremacy in the regular season. Heck, even MLB knew how powerful interstate rivalries could be and that's why they made it mandatory that it was part of the MLB scheduling. Astros and Rangers is no Cowboys and Texans rivalry, but it'll get there in time.

Mr. Roger Godell, Houstonist doesn't really favor on telling people how to do their jobs, but the NFL is missing out on a rivalry that could just be just as great as the Bears-Packers, Cowboys-Redskins, Bengals-Browns and even Colts-Patriots. 24 million Texans would thank and you and there is no doubt all of America would be hooked on this annual showdown.

Texas Stadium in Irving, Texas

Friday, August 22 at 7:00 p.m.
Houston Texans v. Dallas Cowboys
TV: CBS Channel 11
Tickets: DallasCowboys.com