John McClain, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, is in his 48th year of covering the NFL in Houston, including 45 seasons at the Houston Chronicle.

Going into Monday night's game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium, the Texans are 6-4 for the second consecutive season. They've taken a different route to achieve this record compared to 2023 when they won the AFC South in DeMeco Ryans' first season as head coach.

Last season, the Texans had a three-game winning streak going into their 11^th game, a loss to Jacksonville at NRG Stadium. Then they went 4-2 in the stretch drive to finish 10-7.

This season, the Texans have lost three of their last four games, including two against the Packers and Lions on field goals with no time remaining. They're 1-3 against teams that currently have a winning record.

This would seem to be the ideal time for the Texans to cure the problems that plague them – protecting quarterback C.J. Stroud and scoring touchdowns in the second half, to name two of the most perplexing.

Beginning Monday night, the Texans play four games in a row against teams that have losing records. The Cowboys, Titans, Jaguars and Dolphins are a combined 10-27.

The Texans have a comfortable lead in the AFC South. The Colts in second place with a 4-6 record, and the Texans swept the season series, giving them a three-game advantage over Indianapolis.

The Cowboys couldn't care less about the Texans' troubles because they have enough of their own. They have a four-game losing streak. They're winless at home and getting outscored 38-15, including by 41-8 in their last two games. They've played a difficult schedule, going 1-5 against teams that currently have a winning record.

The Texans are a decisive favorite on Monday night despite two glaring issues. Stroud has been sacked 34 times, second in the NFL to Chicago's Caleb Williams (38). Stroud is on a pace to be sacked 58 times. He was sacked 38 times as a rookie.

The Texans haven't scored a second-half touchdown in five of their last six games, including the last four. They've scored only 15 points in the second half of the last four games. Never has that deficiency been more significant than Sunday night when they led the Lions 23-7 at halftime and lost 26-23.

"We have a bad taste in our mouth, and we're ready to get back to work," Ryans said this week. It's important for us to fix us and play clean football."

Because Ryans played six years with the Texans, he knows how Houston fans feel about the Cowboys, especially when they play Dallas.

"We're just hungry and excited about getting a win," he said. "I know it's exciting, and it means a lot to our fans, but for us, it means a lot because it's the next one."

Running back Joe Mixon, who got bottled up by Detroit's outstanding run defense, should bounce back against a Dallas defense that's 31^st against the run, allowing 152.1 yards a game.

What the Texans need most is for Stroud to have a breakout game now that Nico Collins is returning after missing five games with a hamstring injury. If his pass protectors give him time to throw, Stroud should be able to connect with his receivers.

"I think he's handled everything as best as he can," Ryans said. "He always carries himself the right way, always has the right attitude. That's what a leader looks like, and that's why he's a leader for our team.

"He's built the right way. He's able to withstand the storms that come. I love his mindset, his attitude (and) how he attacks every day."

As for Monday night, Ryans said, "I'd like to see C.J. just cut it loose. C.J. has done a lot of great things this year. (I have) full, complete trust in C.J. Let him go out and rip it -- play fast, play fun.

"C.J. is why we're where we are right now. We're sitting in a really good spot because of him, and he's an exceptional talent. I love working with C.J."

Which is music to Stroud's ears, but he has to be given time to throw, a rarity during this current stretch.

Against Detroit, Stroud threw two interceptions, one on a sideline route on the first play of the second half and another in the end zone, where Tank Dell had been wide open. Stroud didn't put enough mustard on his throw, or he would have had an easy touchdown.

"When I play freely and I play with a mindset that it doesn't matter what happens, that's how I played in college," Stroud said. "They used to tell me to swing as hard as you can. Maybe I haven't been doing that lately and babying throws.

"That's my perspective now -- swing and knock something out. I have that capability. I just have to be myself more -- just believe in myself and swing as hard as I can."

Stroud would like to hit a couple of home runs with Collins. The Texans had hoped Collins would play against the Lions, but they gave him another week to get ready. He was off to an exceptional start when he suffered the injury on a 67-yard touchdown catch.

"It's great to have him back," Stroud said. "When he gets the ball, he's dangerous. He's able to turn good into great. He gets everybody juiced up to play hard, and I definitely feel like we've been missing that.

"He brings a seriousness, a discipline, a mindset that we ask from everybody. I believe he has that personality where he wants the hard coverage guy (and) wants the hard routes (and) wants to make the hard plays."

After the loss to Detroit, Stroud said the defeat was his fault. He took the blame for everybody even though it wasn't all his fault.

"Nobody can shoulder all of the responsibility," Ryans said. "Everybody has a job to do. Everybody's expected to do that job to the best of their ability. If everybody focuses on themselves and does their job the right way, we'll be fine."

The Texans have to take advantage of the next four games against the Cowboys, Titans, Jaguars and Dolphins before they play Kansas City and Baltimore in back-to-back games.

"We have the team to do it," Stroud said. "We have the scheme. We have the players. It's up to the players to put it on the field. We have to keep our heads up (and) get the problems fixed. I believe we're still a great team that can do a lot of special things."

They can start by beating the Cowboys in their third consecutive prime-time game to build some steam for the stretch drive that separates the contenders from the pretenders.