Cowboys rally to beat Texans 34-30; Lamb has 17 catches for 189 yards
Dallas rallied for 28 second-half points to defeat the Houston Texans 34-30 at Reliant Stadium on Sunday, improving to 2-2. The Cowboys erased a 10-point halftime deficit behind a historic receiving performance from CeeDee Lamb, who caught 17 passes for 189 yards. The game produced notable developments on offense, defense and special teams, DallasCowboys.com reported.
Lamb’s 17-catch night powered the comeback and set the tone for Dallas’ passing attack. George Pickens added two receptions for 75 yards and consistently drew multiple defenders, which opened opportunities for Lamb. Quarterback Dak Prescott said the offense went to the open player and credited the duo’s timing in key moments.
Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud passed for 347 yards and two touchdowns, but Dallas’ defensive front limited the Texans to 62 rushing yards on 19 carries, a 3.3-yard average. According to NextGenStats, Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark combined for seven run tackles and three run stuffs, and Williams added two tackles for loss. The front’s work on the ground helped keep Dallas in position to mount a second-half comeback.
The Cowboys pressured Stroud on 10 of their 52 defensive plays, or 28.6 percent, and recorded two sacks, one by Williams and another by Rashan Gary. When pressured, Stroud completed 4 of 8 passes for 88 yards and a touchdown, according to the team report. Coach Brian Schottenheimer said the defense showed signs of improvement but added the club cannot continue to allow roughly 30 points per game.
Special teams produced a pivotal swing when Will Anderson Jr. got a hand on a 65-yard field-goal attempt by Brandon Aubrey, the second straight week Dallas saw a kick blocked. The Texans took over at the Cowboys’ 45-yard line with 26 seconds remaining in the first half and used nine yards to set up a 54-yard Ka’imi Fairbairn field goal that extended Houston’s lead to 10 points at halftime. The team had suffered a blocked 59-yard attempt by Keondre Jackson the previous week, and Schottenheimer said the Cowboys would address interior gap integrity to prevent similar plays.
Safety Malik Hooker returned from a forearm injury, led the team with seven tackles and recorded two pass breakups. Schottenheimer said All-Pro guard Tyler Smith (thumb) and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown (hamstring) are “trending positively” to return Thursday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and that the club will have a better idea of their status on Tuesday. Smith must have his 21-day return-to-practice window opened to come off injured reserve.
Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. made his Cowboys debut after missing training camp and the first three games of the season before getting traded, playing 24 defensive snaps with 19 in coverage. Porter was targeted once in coverage and did not allow a reception, and the team noted that in five matchups against Nico Collins, Collins was not targeted when Porter covered him. Porter said he wanted to prove why the club acquired him and that he was glad to be back on the field.
Linebacker Shemar James flew back to Dallas with the Jones family after the game because his wife went into labor, and coach Schottenheimer said James broke down the team in the locker room before departing. Injuries forced depth players such as Reddy Steward, Caelen Carson, Markquese Bell, Alijah Clark and Ameer Speed into larger roles on defense. Those reserves helped the Cowboys finish the game while the coaching staff manages a shortened week before facing Tampa Bay.
NFL Sports Blog Take
CeeDee Lamb’s 17-catch, 189-yard performance was the decisive factor in Dallas’ comeback and underscored how George Pickens’ ability to draw extra coverage opened the passing game. The defensive front improved against the run and produced two sacks, but giving up 347 yards through the air and the special-teams lapse on the blocked kick remain concerns. The club’s injury picture will be critical in a short week, and potential returns for Tyler Smith and DeMarvion Overshown could provide timely reinforcements if status updates Tuesday remain positive.