DJ Bien-Aime
Todd Archer
Todd Archer
ESPN Workers Author
Todd Archer is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Dallas Cowboys. Archer has lined the NFL since 1997 and Dallas since 2003. He joined ESPN in 2010. You’ll be able to comply with him on Twitter at @toddarcher.
ARLINGTON, Texas — The Houston Texans defeated the Dallas Cowboys 34-10 at AT&T Stadium for the primary time in franchise historical past Monday and snapped a two-game shedding streak.
The Texans had been fueled by working again Joe Mixon’s three speeding touchdowns and 109 speeding yards.
They jumped out to a 14-0 lead within the first quarter, and their protection carried them for the remainder of the sport. Houston sacked Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush 5 occasions, intercepted him as soon as and scored a landing on a strip sack.
The win places the Texans two video games forward of the Indianapolis Colts, whom they’ve already crushed twice, within the AFC South, and their subsequent two video games are towards the two-win Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Listed below are crucial issues to know from Monday night time for each groups:
Pivotal play: The protection put the sport away in an uncommon approach early within the fourth quarter. Defensive finish Derek Barnett had a strip sack, and Cowboys proper sort out Tyler Guyton picked up the unfastened ball making an attempt to run for the primary down. Guyton did not get far as security Jalen Pitre knocked the ball out, and Barnett scooped the unfastened ball and sprinted into the tip zone. The rating put the Texans up 27-10 to assist safe the victory.
Stunning efficiency: Coach DeMeco Ryans normally would not let cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. comply with reverse star receivers. However towards the Cowboys, he often let Stingley comply with All-Professional huge receiver CeeDee Lamb, and he answered the problem. Stingley lined Lamb for 17 routes and allowed solely two catches for 19 yards with an interception and two cross breakups whereas drawing an offensive cross interference. Rush had a passer ranking of three.5 when throwing in Stingley’s course, based on Subsequent Gen Stats.
Troubling development: The Texans had 9 penalties for 69 yards, which allowed the Cowboys to hold round. The primary play of the sport was a 77-yard landing cross to wideout Nico Collins in his first sport again after lacking the earlier 5 with a hamstring harm, however left sort out Laremy Tunsil was referred to as for an unlawful man downfield that nullified the play. The unit nonetheless scored because of a Mixon 45-yard speeding landing. However on the primary drive of the third quarter, the Texans marched to the Cowboys’ 5-yard line, and left guard Juice Scruggs was referred to as for holding, which pushed the Texans to second-and-18. That drive resulted in a area purpose as a substitute of six factors. Houston has to scrub up its sloppiness because the postseason nears. — D.J. Bien-Aime
Subsequent sport: vs. Tennessee Titans (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)
Seven weeks of distress stay within the Cowboys’ season, however their shedding streak continues.
Regardless of the Cowboys dropping their fifth straight, the season is not over mathematically. However what offers you hope that issues can flip round? Quarterback Dak Prescott is out for the season following hamstring surgical procedure, and in a span of three performs within the fourth quarter, the Cowboys misplaced proper guard Zack Martin and left guard Tyler Smith.
The shedding streak is the Cowboys’ longest since 2015 — once they misplaced seven in a row on their option to a 4-12 end — and this loss ties the longest such streak of Mike McCarthy’s teaching profession. He misplaced 5 in a row to complete 6-10 in 2008 with the Inexperienced Bay Packers.
Only a reminder: He doesn’t have a contract previous this season.
And this is perhaps essentially the most ignominious stat of all of them: For the primary time since 1989, the Cowboys have misplaced their first 5 house video games of the season. That group completed 1-15 within the first yr of Jerry Jones’ tenure as proprietor and common supervisor.
QB breakdown: By the second quarter, Rush had extra passing yards than he had in all of final week’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles (45 yards). Within the second quarter, he had a 64-yard landing cross to KaVontae Turpin, the second longest of his profession. Turpin had extra yards after the catch (56) than Rush had passing yards towards the Eagles. Nevertheless it took till the fourth quarter for Rush to have one other completion of 20 yards or extra regardless of ending with 354 passing yards. The fourth-quarter sack fumble that was ultimately returned for a landing that pushed Houston’s result in 17 factors was simply one other reminder that the Cowboys have no margin for error.
1:02
Tempers flare early in heated in-state rivalry between Cowboys, Texans
The Cowboys and Texans get into brief scuffle after a penalty on a kickoff.
Troubling development: The Cowboys practically gave up a 77-yard landing cross on the primary play of the sport, but it surely was referred to as again due to an ineligible man downfield penalty on the Texans. Six performs later, Mixon had the sport’s first landing on a 45-yard run. For as poor because the Cowboys’ run protection had been (No. 31 within the league coming into the sport), it was the longest run allowed by the Cowboys this season. It surpassed a 39-yard run by San Francisco 49ers huge receiver Ricky Pearsall on a jet sweep. Large performs have been a nemesis for the Cowboys all yr. Coming into Monday, the Cowboys allowed 28 cross performs of 20 yards or extra and 38 runs of 10 yards or extra.
Troubling development (half 2): The Cowboys have allowed factors in 22 straight quarters, relationship again to their Week 5 win towards the Pittsburgh Steelers. In line with ESPN Analysis, it’s the longest streak in group historical past. The longest had been 19 straight quarters in 1960, the Cowboys’ inaugural season. The Texans opened the second half with a area purpose drive, which marked the eighth time in 10 video games a Cowboys opponent scored on the primary possession of the third quarter. — Todd Archer
Subsequent sport: vs. Washington Commanders (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)
