Exhausted from international travel and a short week, Dallas faces a hostile Houston defense. Dak Prescott must prove his offense can dominate a physical unit to stay elite.
When the Dallas Cowboys' schedule came out and showed it would feature the Houston Texans on the road after a meeting with the Baltimore Ravens in Rio?
It was viewed as a crucial part of Dallas' season - a gauntlet of sorts.
And now?
The long flight back from Brazil, the crunched-clock week, and packing to hit the road right away again all make for a perfect storm - or is that "imperfect storm''? - for the 1-2 Cowboys as they take on the 0-3 Texans and Houston coach DeMeco Ryans' defense.
While the Will Anderson-led Texans unit hasn't been at its dominant best since last season, they still create havoc and Houston hasn't allowed more than 20 points in the last two weeks.
So, scoring against them is tough, and so too is playing mistake-free football, as they've managed three takeaways in the last two games.
For the Cowboys' high-octane offense with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, Jake Ferguson, and Javonte Williams, it looms as a big test.
So, does Dak see it as a litmus test on Sunday for the self-proclaimed "GOTI' as a 2.5-point underdog?
"I'm going to take our guys against anybody," said Prescott, who has publicized the "Greatest Offense There Is'' moniker. "That's just the confidence I have in them. It's what we've done together. It's the way that we practice, the way that we approach every day with one another ...
"We're going out there to be the best versions of ourselves, doesn't matter who's on the other side."
We have often been critical of the Cowboys' offense for beating up on the "weaker" teams, but then when they come up against a top defense - think back to last season and the root of this team's 7-9-1 record - they struggle.
This offense, after putting 31 on the Ravens last week in a three-point loss, showed that it can move the ball and score against a good defense. (Well, you know, except for the final 23 seconds.)
The Texans are experiencing clock-management controversy (sound familiar?) and their secondary is in shambles (sound familiar?). But by pedigree? They are a different beast when their Super Bowl-caliber defense is right ... so how Dak and his guys fare on the road in a hostile environment will tell us a lot about "GOTI.''
Dak fancies his offense against anyone in football, and that's the mindset the Cowboys should have. But talking the talk isn't enough, and especially now, with Dallas' defense once again one of the NFL's lowest-ranked (but hopefully buoyed after the trade for Steelers star Joey Porter), the Cowboys' proud offense on Sunday needs to walk the "GOTI'' walk.
