Joe Mixon sprinted for three touchdowns, extending his scoring streak to six games since his return from injury. Derek Barnett capitalized on a fumble, returning it 28 yards for a touchdown, as the Texans triumphed over the Cowboys 34-10 on Monday night.
The Texans (7-4) halted just the second two-game losing streak of CJ Stroud’s nascent career, while maintaining a two-game lead in the AFC South. Houston broke away in the second half, rebounding from a 26-23 loss to Detroit at home, where they squandered a 23-7 halftime lead. “It’s not as dire as it seems, nor as rosy as it appears,” Stroud remarked. “In such games, you must secure a win, especially when leading at halftime [against the Lions]. But what can we do about it?”
The Cowboys (3-7) endured a dismal season, with debris falling from their stadium’s retractable roof as it opened just hours before the game. No injuries were reported, but this mishap foreshadowed their fifth consecutive defeat, a stark contrast to their previous three seasons where they lost a total of five games each. Cooper Rush threw a 64-yard touchdown pass to KaVontae Turpin but lost his second start since Dak Prescott’s season-ending hamstring injury.
Dallas’ losing streak is their longest since a seven-game skid in 2015, and they now stand 0-5 at home. According to Sportradar, the Cowboys are the first NFL team to trail by at least 20 points in six consecutive home games, including last season’s wildcard playoff loss to Green Bay. Their playoff streak from the previous three seasons is now in jeopardy. “They should be frustrated,” Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy said. “We’re all frustrated. If they weren’t, something would be amiss. We must stay focused on what’s directly in front of us. That’s how I’ve always approached it.”
The Cowboys were trailing 20-10 early in the fourth quarter when Barnett knocked the ball out of Rush’s hand. Dallas rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton caught it but fumbled again when Jalen Pitre intervened. Barnett recovered and scored, nearly stepping out of bounds. “The play he made truly altered the game for us,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “It shifted the momentum and energized everyone on the sideline. It was a pivotal play.”
Earlier, the Cowboys seemed to close the gap with a 64-yard field goal from Brandon Aubrey, but Barnett was penalized for slapping Terence Steele on the rush. Dallas nullified the points with the penalty, and Rush’s fourth-down pass from the Houston eight-yard line was incomplete, squandering their best scoring opportunity in the second half. “The defense played with top-tier energy,” Ryans said. “We gave up one big play. I wish we could have that one back, but overall, our performance was solid.”
Texans receiver Nico Collins returned after a five-game absence due to a hamstring injury, taking a screen pass 77 yards to the end zone on the game’s first play, only to have it called back due to an ineligible receiver downfield. That possession ended with a touchdown anyway, courtesy of Mixon’s 45-yard dash up the middle, followed by a one-yard run for a 14-0 lead. Mixon finished the day with 109 yards rushing and set up a field goal with a 37-yard catch-and-run on a screen. “I cherish that first play because it demonstrated our potential in this game,” Ryans said. “Even though it was called back, I told our team, ‘We can score on these guys again. Just keep that in mind.’”
Without Prescott, the Cowboys lost tight end Jake Ferguson to a concussion and perennial All-Pro right guard Zack Martin and left guard Tyler Smith to ankle injuries. Rush was sacked five times, three on the same possession when Martin and Smith were injured. Stroud, who has been in a mini-slump, threw for 257 yards without any mistakes after an early interception on fourth down. It was the third time in five games he has gone without a touchdown pass, tallying two TDs and three picks in that span. Rush completed 32 of 55 passes for 354 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Turpin had three catches for 86 yards.
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