The Dallas Cowboys erased a 10-point halftime deficit to beat the Houston Texans 34-30 in Houston on Sunday, powered by CeeDee Lamb's career-best 17 receptions for 189 yards and three second-half rushing touchdowns from Javonte Williams. Lamb's 12-yard touchdown catch with 40 seconds remaining settled a wild in-state shootout.
Dallas looked beaten when Houston retook the lead at 30-27 on Woody Marks' six-yard touchdown run with about two and a half minutes left. That score came off a dramatic hook-and-ladder on third-and-14, with tight end Dalton Schultz hauling in a two-yard pass and lateraling to David Montgomery for 19 more yards. Dak Prescott answered by marching the Cowboys 74 yards on 11 plays — including a fourth-down conversion — before finding Lamb for the winner. C.J. Stroud's final desperation pass fell incomplete.
Lamb's 17 catches are a career high, and only Jason Witten's 18 receptions in 2012 stand above them in Dallas history. Williams finished with 62 yards on 19 carries, his three touchdown runs — from eight, one and two yards out — all coming after halftime. Prescott completed 32 of 45 passes for 335 yards as the Cowboys improved to 2-2.
Houston had dominated the opening half. Nico Collins opened the game with a 45-yard catch-and-run and capped the 85-yard drive with a seven-yard scoring catch. Ka'imi Fairbairn kicked field goals of 51, 39 and 54 yards, while Brandon Aubrey replied from 39 and 50 yards — missing attempts from 62 and 65 — to leave the Texans ahead 16-6 at the break.
Second-half swing
Dallas came alive after halftime, with KaVontae Turpin returning the opening kickoff 48 yards and Williams cashing in with an eight-yard touchdown run to make it 16-13. Houston answered through Jaylin Noel's 53-yard kickoff return and Stroud's 22-yard touchdown pass to Collins, stretching the lead to 23-13. Williams then plunged in from a yard out to close the gap, and his two-yard score on an 81-yard drive gave Dallas its first lead of the game at 27-23 with just over 11 minutes remaining.
The Texans dropped to 0-4, their first such start since 2020. Stroud finished 21-of-31 passing for 347 yards and two touchdowns. Collins, returning after missing two games with a hamstring injury, caught seven passes for 118 yards and two scores.
Sources:
Cowboys stun Texans 34-30 behind CeeDee Lamb, huge second half — Reuters
CeeDee Lamb's late TD caps wild Cowboys rally to beat winless Texans — Sportsnet (AP)
Dallas looked beaten when Houston retook the lead at 30-27 on Woody Marks' six-yard touchdown run with about two and a half minutes left. That score came off a dramatic hook-and-ladder on third-and-14, with tight end Dalton Schultz hauling in a two-yard pass and lateraling to David Montgomery for 19 more yards. Dak Prescott answered by marching the Cowboys 74 yards on 11 plays — including a fourth-down conversion — before finding Lamb for the winner. C.J. Stroud's final desperation pass fell incomplete.
Lamb's 17 catches are a career high, and only Jason Witten's 18 receptions in 2012 stand above them in Dallas history. Williams finished with 62 yards on 19 carries, his three touchdown runs — from eight, one and two yards out — all coming after halftime. Prescott completed 32 of 45 passes for 335 yards as the Cowboys improved to 2-2.
Houston had dominated the opening half. Nico Collins opened the game with a 45-yard catch-and-run and capped the 85-yard drive with a seven-yard scoring catch. Ka'imi Fairbairn kicked field goals of 51, 39 and 54 yards, while Brandon Aubrey replied from 39 and 50 yards — missing attempts from 62 and 65 — to leave the Texans ahead 16-6 at the break.
Second-half swing
Dallas came alive after halftime, with KaVontae Turpin returning the opening kickoff 48 yards and Williams cashing in with an eight-yard touchdown run to make it 16-13. Houston answered through Jaylin Noel's 53-yard kickoff return and Stroud's 22-yard touchdown pass to Collins, stretching the lead to 23-13. Williams then plunged in from a yard out to close the gap, and his two-yard score on an 81-yard drive gave Dallas its first lead of the game at 27-23 with just over 11 minutes remaining.
The Texans dropped to 0-4, their first such start since 2020. Stroud finished 21-of-31 passing for 347 yards and two touchdowns. Collins, returning after missing two games with a hamstring injury, caught seven passes for 118 yards and two scores.
Sources:
Cowboys stun Texans 34-30 behind CeeDee Lamb, huge second half — Reuters
CeeDee Lamb's late TD caps wild Cowboys rally to beat winless Texans — Sportsnet (AP)
