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Texans QB Carr looks for another win over Cowboys

Oct 10, 2006 - 10:51 PM Houston (1-3) at Dallas (2-2) Sunday 1:00 pm EDT

IRVING, Texas (Ticker) - David Carr will always remember his first game. Jerry Jones would rather forget it.

Carr and the Houston Texans will face the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday in the second battle of the Lone Star State.

The first meeting also was the first game in the history of the Texans on September 8, 2002. It turned into the first win for the franchise as well as Carr passed for two touchdowns in a stunning 19-10 victory over the Cowboys.

"That was sure special," Carr said. "Our first game as a franchise and mine as a player was against the Cowboys. To win that game was especially gratifying."

Jones, Dallas' owner since 1989, admitted to being "disappointed for Cowboy fans everywhere" after that loss. Following the season, he fired coach Dave Campo and hired Bill Parcells, a two-time Super Bowl-winning coach.

But Parcells is now in his fourth year in Dallas, and the Cowboys have yet to win a playoff game under him.

Jones is so desperate for postseason success that he signed controversial wide receiver Terrell Owens - who was suspended and banished by the Philadelphia Eagles for conduct detrimental to the team - to a three-year contract worth $25 million.

Owens has 17 catches for 232 yards and one touchdown in four games. Last week, he made little impact in his return to Philadelphia, catching three passes for 45 yards in a 38-24 loss to the Eagles.

Quarterback Drew Bledsoe and the Cowboys' offensive line especially struggled. Not known for his mobility, Bledsoe was sacked seven times and intercepted three times. The last interception was returned 102 yards for a touchdown by cornerback Lito Sheppard with 16 seconds left.

Carr knows all about getting sacked. He was dumped 208 times in his first four seasons with Houston.

That makes protecting the quarterback a priority for both teams. Houston is relying on rookie defensive end Mario Williams, the top overall pick in the 2006 draft, to put heat on Bledsoe. Williams recorded 1 1/2 sacks in the Texans' 17-15 victory over Miami on October 1.

The Cowboys get a strong pass rush from outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware and end Greg Ellis. Ware recorded 1 1/2 sacks and returned a fumble 69 yards for a touchdown in the loss to Philadelphia.

Both teams have superb receiving tandems - Owens and Terry Glenn for Dallas and Andre Johnson and Eric Moulds for Houston. Glenn leads the Cowboys with 20 catches for 290 yards and three touchdowns. Johnson leads Houston with 30 receptions for 410 yards and two scores.

But the Cowboys have better balance with Julius Jones (449 rushing yards) in the backfield. The Texans have not gotten much production from rookie Wali Lundy, Ron Dayne and Samkon Gado in their backfield.

After hosting the Texans, the Cowboys will face NFC East rival New York on Monday night.