Did you really expect anything less from the Dallas Cowboys than a game that would push your heart rate to maximum capacity? At times it was frustrating, other times exhilarating, but in the end, the Cowboys pulled off a thrilling 34-30 come-from-behind victory over the Houston Texans, providing fans with another wild late-game finish.
There is never any shortage of excitement with this football team. Regardless, they got the win, and here are 10 thoughts on this almost disappointing, but then very
satisfying, chaotic game.
1. Better late than never
It was a tale of two offenses for the Cowboys. In the first half, all they could muster was field goal attempts, and a couple of those did not go well. All the Cowboys had to show for their efforts was six measly points in the first half.
Sideline reporter Pam Oliver mentioned at halftime that offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer was not fazed, and considering what we saw next, we now understand why. The Cowboys offense completely came to life, scoring four second-half touchdowns, including three straight to start the half and the game-winner to close it out. Thank you, offense.
2. CeeDee is sensational
If there was any doubt that CeeDee Lamb had not returned to his spectacular self, today’s game served as another reminder. He was all over the field, finishing the game with 17 catches for 189 yards and a touchdown. He came just one catch shy of tying the single-game reception record for the Cowboys set by Jason Witten with 18 back in 2012. Lamb was incredible, coming up with big catches and huge runs after the catch. The Texans had no answer for him.
3. Finishing
The Cowboys’ offense had some questionable play-calling last week as the unit sputtered near the goal line on a couple of drives when they abandoned the running game. Not this week. Dallas attacked the goal line with far more ferocity, resulting in not one, not two, but three rushing touchdowns by Javonte Williams. It was nice to see them finish things off with some physical football instead of trying to get cute and petering out.
4. Giving up big plays
The Cowboys’ defense just can’t help itself sometimes, constantly giving up big plays. On each of Houston’s first two drives, the defense allowed a play of 45 yards or more. First, C.J. Stroud connected with Nico Collins for a 45-yard completion. On their next possession, DaRon Bland got beat on a double move, resulting in a 52-yard completion to Jaylin Noel. Coming into this game, the Texans hadn’t had a single play over 35 yards all season. Leave it to the Cowboys’ defense to help an opponent break a dry spell.
5. Can’t block on FGs
For the second straight week, the Cowboys special teams unit has allowed a defender to sneak through and block a field goal. Last week, we could point our fingers at a possible offsides penalty, but this week, there were no excuses. The interior line allowed Will Anderson Jr. to waltz through and get his hands up to block the kick from Brandon Aubrey. That was a costly six-point swing as it took away a field goal from Dallas and eventually led to one for Houston.
6. Special teams struggles
The special teams struggled on several occasions in this game. Besides the block, Aubrey also missed a field goal that gave the Texans great field position, resulting in a field goal late in the first half. This group was also highly influential in the return game for both teams.
The Cowboys opened the second half with a nice return from KaVontae Turpin, and the offense quickly turned that into a touchdown. Unfortunately, the Texans answered immediately with a great kickoff return of their own from Jaylin Noel, which also resulted in a touchdown.
7. Defensive groove
It was a struggle at times, but the Cowboys’ defense did eventually start to settle in and make stops. If you don’t count the instances where the special teams left them with terrible starting field position, the defense had a nice stretch where they were making plays. In those situations, they put together four straight possessions where they allowed four plays or fewer and forced the Texans’ offense off the field. That was a welcome sight.
8. Another late collapse?
Unfortunately, all those key defensive stops did not mean as much when they allowed the Texans to drive down the field and put together what almost became the game-winning drive. Houston moved the ball 87 yards on nine plays and was aided by a clever hook-and-ladder play on a crucial third-and-14.
It felt like the defense was finally going to make a big stop, but allowing them to convert on third and long was a kick to the stomach. The Texans scored on the very next play on a six-yard touchdown run by Woody Marks, putting Dallas in a major hole.
9. Finding a way
When the Texans scored the go-ahead touchdown to go up 30-27 with just over two minutes left, it looked eerily similar to last week’s game when the Ravens jumped ahead late. Cowboys fans were asking themselves the exact same question they asked last week, which was whether the offense had one last drive left in them.
Just like last week, the answer was yes, but unlike last week, the Cowboys finished things up with a touchdown rather than settling for the tying field goal. We enjoyed that much better.
10. Always a sweat
Admit it, you were on pins and needles when the Texans got the ball back with 37 seconds left in the game. The odds were certainly in favor of Dallas, but after what we witnessed last week, we were not taking anything for granted. While we could not rest easy until we saw the ball hit the ground on the final Hail Mary attempt, it always has to be a sweat with this team.
