Cowboys beat Texans 34-30 in Texas rivalry, dropping Houston to 0-4
Dallas scored 28 second-half points to erase a double-digit Houston lead, leaving the Texans facing one of the NFL's most daunting statistical holes.
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The Dallas Cowboys scored 28 second-half points Sunday to overcome a double-digit deficit and beat the Houston Texans 34-30 at NRG Stadium, handing Houston its fourth consecutive loss to open the season and leaving the Texans in historically difficult territory.
Dallas sealed the win with an 11-play, 74-yard drive that took just 1:43 — a sequence that came immediately after Houston had retaken the lead. The Cowboys, who entered at 1-2, now have two games against the Buccaneers and Packers that figure to be winnable.
For Houston, the math is grim. Only one team in NFL history has reached the playoffs after starting 0-4: the 1992 San Diego Chargers, according to Fox News. The Texans now face that 34-year-old precedent coming off what Fox News described as one of Houston's most heartbreaking recent losses.
The game aired regionally on FOX — locally on FOX-26 in Houston — with kickoff at 1 p.m. ET (noon local time), and was also available via streaming services including FuboTV, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, DIRECTV Stream, and NFL+, according to Sporting News and the Houston Texans' official site.
Heading into the game, the matchup featured a sharp contrast in quarterback production. Dak Prescott had thrown for 730 yards and seven touchdowns through three games — tied for fifth-most touchdown passes in the NFL — while C.J. Stroud carried 794 passing yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions on 120 attempts, ranking ninth in passing yards, according to Fox Sports. Stroud had kept the turnover column clean even as Houston stumbled, but the offense converted just 36.4 percent of third downs against a Dallas offense converting 57.1 percent — second-best in the NFL.
CeeDee Lamb entered the game averaging just over 100 receiving yards per game, with 20 catches for 309 yards and three touchdowns on 25 targets through three weeks — fourth in the league in receiving yards, per Fox Sports. Houston's defense had allowed 75 points and forced just one interception through three games, a unit that had given up yardage without generating turnovers.
On the defensive side, Houston's Will Anderson had been one of the week's most prominent pass rushers, recording 4.0 sacks through three games — among the league leaders — along with 18 tackles. A strip-sack in the Week 3 loss to Indianapolis highlighted a 2.5-sack, one-forced-fumble performance, according to Fox Sports. Dallas had allowed only three sacks in three games, setting up one of the game's marquee individual matchups.
The Texans had been considered a sleeper Super Bowl pick entering the season, with a defense that drew attention, but an 0-3 start before Sunday was already raising questions. Sporting News noted that slow starts are not new for Houston, but the lack of offensive progress from Stroud and an injury to Nico Collins had compounded the team's struggles over the previous two weeks.
Why it matters — Houston's 0-4 start puts the Texans — a preseason Super Bowl sleeper pick — on the wrong side of one of the NFL's most daunting historical trends, while Dallas's comeback win gives the Cowboys momentum heading into two games they are expected to win.
Reported by yahoo.com, cbssports.com, foxnews.com, sportingnews.com, foxsports.com, texanswire.usatoday.com, houstontexans.com, watchmode.com, footballdb.com
