The Houston Texans pulled off a big win over the Dallas Cowboys with a 34-10 victory at AT&T Stadium, marking the first time in franchise history they’ve beaten the Cowboys there. The win also snapped a two-game losing streak for the Texans.
The Texans’ running back Joe Mixon was the star, scoring three rushing touchdowns and gaining 109 rushing yards. Houston jumped to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, and their defense took care of the rest. They sacked Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush five times, intercepted him once, and even scored a touchdown on a strip sack.
With this win, the Texans are now two games ahead of the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC South, and their next two games are against the struggling Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars.
What stood out for the Texans:
- Pivotal Play: In the fourth quarter, defensive end Derek Barnett made a huge play with a strip sack. When the Cowboys tried to recover the ball, safety Jalen Pitre knocked it out, and Barnett picked it up and ran it into the end zone for a touchdown. That put the Texans up 27-10 and sealed the win.
- Surprising Performance: Cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. had a great game. Even though he doesn’t usually follow the best wide receivers, Coach DeMeco Ryans allowed him to shadow All-Pro CeeDee Lamb. Stingley stepped up big time, holding Lamb to just two catches for 19 yards, with one interception and two pass breakups.
- Troubling Trend: The Texans had nine penalties for 69 yards, which kept the Cowboys in the game longer than they should’ve been. For example, a big 77-yard touchdown pass was called back due to a penalty on the Texans’ offensive line. They’ll need to clean up the penalties as they head into tougher games.
What went wrong for the Cowboys:
- Tough Losses: Despite losing for the fifth straight time, the Cowboys’ season isn’t over yet, but things aren’t looking good. Quarterback Dak Prescott is out for the season due to hamstring surgery. To make matters worse, they lost two key offensive linemen—Zack Martin and Tyler Smith—in the fourth quarter.
- Quarterback Struggles: Cooper Rush did throw for 354 yards, but he had a rough game overall. A sack fumble in the fourth quarter, which turned into a Texans touchdown, pretty much ended any hopes the Cowboys had of a comeback.
- Troubling Trend #1: The Cowboys’ defense allowed a 45-yard touchdown run to Mixon, which was the longest run they’ve given up this season. Their defense has struggled all year, and big plays have been a constant issue.
- Troubling Trend #2: The Cowboys have allowed points in every quarter of their last 21 games, which is the longest streak in team history. The Texans even scored on their first drive of the second half, which has been a problem for the Cowboys’ defense all season.
In short, the Texans played solid football and took advantage of the Cowboys’ mistakes. With key injuries and defensive struggles, the Cowboys will need to make big changes if they want to turn their season around.
