The Cowboys’ season is like their roof at AT&T Stadium, caving in.
Running back Joe Mixon was the star of the night, scoring three touchdowns. Derek Barnett was everywhere on the field, forcing a fumble by quarterback Cooper Rush and returning it to the house for a 28-yard TD and the Houston Texans routed their instate rival, the Dallas Cowboys 34-10 on Monday Night Football.
The Texans (7-4) put a halt to just the second two-game losing streak of the C.J. Stroud era while maintaining a two-game lead over the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC South.
“It’s not as bad as it ever seems, and it’s never as good as it ever seems,” Stroud said. “Those type of games, you have to come out with a win, especially going up like that at the half. But what are we going to do about it?”
Just when things could not get any worse, in a season filled with epic fails and their coach being a lame duck, the Cowboys (3-7), had chunks of debris falling from their stadium’s retractable roof as it was opening a few hours before the game.
There was no delay and thankfully no injuries were reported, just another unforeseen mishap to go along with a fifth consecutive loss for a team that dropped five games all together in each of the past three playoff seasons.
Rush threw a 64-yard touchdown pass to elusive wide receiver KaVontae Turpin but lost his second start since Dak Prescott’s season-ending hamstring injury. The Dallas losing streak is its longest since a seven-game skid in 2015.
“Well, they better be frustrated,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “I mean, we’re all frustrated. I think there’d be something wrong if they weren’t frustrated. So just very honest with everything and stay in tune with what’s right in front of us. And that’s the only way I’ve ever done it.”
The Cowboys trailed by 10 early in the final stanza when Barnett knocked the ball out of Rush’s hand as he was attempting to throw. Dallas rookie left tackle Tyler Guyton, who has had his struggles all season long, retrieved it and was trying to run when Jalen Pitre knocked the ball loose again. Barnett scooped it and scored, although he came close to stepping out of bounds running free toward the pylon.
Embed from Getty ImagesEarlier, the Cowboys appeared to have pulled within a touchdown, which would have made it 20-13, on a 64-yard field goal from the kicker with the golden foot Brandon Aubrey, but Barnett was flagged for a 15-yard penalty for slapping Terence Steele on the rush.
Dallas took the points off the board by accepting the foul, but Rush’s fourth-down pass from the Houston 8-yard line was incomplete.
Texans’ wideout Nico Collins returned after a five games absence due to a hamstring injury and took a screen pass 77 yards to the end zone the first time he touched the ball, but it did not count because of an ineligible receiver downfield.
That possession ended with a touchdown anyway on Mixon’s 45-yard sprint up the middle, and he ran wide for a 1-yard score and a two-touchdown lead, 14-0. Mixon had 109 yards rushing and set up a field goal with a 37-yard catch-and-run on a screen.
Already shorthanded without Prescott, the Cowboys lost tight end Jake Ferguson to a concussion and All-Pro right guard and leader of the team Zack Martin and left guard Tyler Smith to ankle injuries. The Texans got home to Rush sacking him five times, three on the same possession when Martin and Smith were injured.
Stroud, who has been in a mini-slump over the past few weeks, had a relatively easy night. He threw for 257 yards with an early pick on fourth down.
Rush was 32-of-55 for 354 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Turpin hauled in three catches for 86 yards.
The Texans host Will Levis and the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
The Cowboys travel to the nation’s capital and will play their division rival Washington Commanders on Sunday.
