Houston Texans vs Dallas Cowboys Match Player Stats (Nov 18, 2024)
When the Houston Texans faced the Dallas Cowboys on November 18, 2024, Monday Night Football became a showcase of dominance. The final score read 34-10, with Joe Mixon bulldozing for 109 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries. Derek Barnett’s 28-yard fumble return for a score buried any Dallas comeback hopes. Cooper Rush attempted 55 passes for 354 yards but absorbed five sacks as the Cowboys extended their historic home collapse to six consecutive games.
Table of Contents
Essential Game Statistics
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Final Score | HOU 34, DAL 10 |
| Top Rusher | Joe Mixon: 20 carries, 109 yards, 3 TDs |
| Defensive Hero | Derek Barnett: 1 sack, 2 FF, 1 FR, 1 TD |
| Game Breaker | Barnett’s 28-yard fumble return TD (4th quarter, 12:31) |
| Injury Crisis | Cowboys lost 3 starting OL in 4th quarter (Guyton, Martin, Smith) |
| Historic Mark | Cowboys’ 6th straight home game trailing by 20+ (NFL record) |
How the Game Unfolded
First Quarter: Mixon’s 45-yard touchdown run on the opening drive set the tone. Derek Stingley Jr. intercepted Cooper Rush in the end zone to kill Dallas’s best early scoring chance. Mixon scored again from 1 yard out. Houston 14, Dallas 0.
Second Quarter: KaVontae Turpin caught a 64-yard touchdown from Rush to cut the deficit in half. Field goals from both teams made it 17-10 at halftime, with Dallas showing signs of life.
Third Quarter: Defensive stalemate. Ka’imi Fairbairn kicked a 29-yarder to extend Houston’s lead to 20-10. Neither offense could sustain drives.
Fourth Quarter: Derek Barnett strip-sacked Rush, causing chaos. After Tyler Guyton recovered the fumble and fumbled again, Barnett scooped it and raced 28 yards for a touchdown. Houston 27, Dallas 10. Mixon added his third rushing score late. Final: 34-10.
Top Performers by Position
| Position | Houston Texans | Dallas Cowboys |
|---|---|---|
| QB Passing | C.J. Stroud: 23/34, 257 yards, 1 INT | Cooper Rush: 32/55, 354 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| RB Rushing | Joe Mixon: 20 carries, 109 yards, 3 TDs | Rico Dowdle: 10 carries, 28 yards |
| WR/TE Receiving | Nico Collins: 4 catches, 54 yards | CeeDee Lamb: 8 catches, 93 yards |
| Defense Sacks | Danielle Hunter: 2.0 | Osa Odighizuwa: 1.0 |
| Tackles Leader | Jalen Pitre: 9 total (4 solo) | Eric Kendricks: 9 total (5 solo) |
Team Statistical Comparison
Dallas ran 79 plays. Houston ran 60. The Cowboys earned 24 first downs to the Texans’ 21. Yet they lost by 24 points. Houston’s defense outscored Dallas’s entire offense in the second half, 14-0.
| Metric | Houston | Dallas |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 391 | 388 |
| First Downs | 21 | 24 |
| 3rd Down Efficiency | 4/12 (33%) | 5/15 (33%) |
| 4th Down Efficiency | 1/2 (50%) | 0/4 (0%) |
| Red Zone Success | 2/4 (50%) | 0/1 (0%) |
| Turnovers | 1 | 2 |
| Penalties | 9-69 | 9-66 |
| Possession Time | 30:37 | 29:23 |
Houston’s Offensive Execution
Stroud Avoids Mistakes After Early Pick
After throwing an ugly red zone interception early, C.J. Stroud settled down. His release time clocked at 2.39 seconds, significantly faster than his season norm of 2.97 seconds. Despite pressure on 42.5% of his dropbacks, the Cowboys brought him down just once for seven yards.
| Player | Comp/Att | Yards | TD | INT | Sacks | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C.J. Stroud | 23/34 | 257 | 0 | 1 | 1-7 | 77.7 |
Mixon’s Three-Touchdown Performance
Twenty carries. 109 yards. Three touchdowns. That’s a 5.5 yards per carry clip. Mixon extended his scoring streak to six straight games since returning from his ankle injury. The 45-yard burst on the opening drive announced Houston’s intentions immediately.
| Player | Carries | Yards | Average | TDS | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Mixon | 20 | 109 | 5.5 | 3 | 45 |
| C.J. Stroud | 3 | 26 | 8.7 | 0 | 20 |
| Tank Dell | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 |
| Dameon Pierce | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 0 | 2 |
Spreading the Ball to Eight Targets
Bobby Slowik’s game plan involved eight different receivers. Despite catching just four passes for 54 yards, Nico Collins earned an 84.7 PFF grade in his return from a five-game hamstring injury. That grade topped all Houston offensive players.
| Player | Targets | Receptions | Yards | Average | TDS | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nico Collins | 7 | 4 | 54 | 13.5 | 0 | 33 |
| Tank Dell | 7 | 4 | 54 | 13.5 | 0 | 26 |
| Joe Mixon | 4 | 2 | 44 | 22.0 | 0 | 37 |
| Dalton Schultz | 7 | 5 | 33 | 6.6 | 0 | 12 |
| John Metchie III | 3 | 3 | 33 | 11.0 | 0 | 16 |
| Cade Stover | 2 | 2 | 15 | 7.5 | 0 | 12 |
| Robert Woods | 2 | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | 0 | 7 |
| Dare Ogunbowale | 1 | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 0 | 11 |
Houston’s Defensive Takeover
Will Anderson Jr. sat out with an ankle injury. Coming into Week 11, he’d been tied for fifth in the NFL with 7.5 sacks. His absence didn’t matter.
| Player | Tackles | Solo | Sacks | TFL | QB Hits | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jalen Pitre | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Henry To’oTo’o | 7 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ka’dar Hollman | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Azeez Al-Shaair | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Danielle Hunter | 3 | 3 | 2.0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| Derek Barnett | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Denico Autry | 4 | 3 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Tim Settle Jr. | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Danielle Hunter and Derek Barnett combined for three sacks. The defensive line brought Rush down five times total, with most damage coming after the offensive line injuries in the fourth quarter.
Secondary Shuts Down Rush
Derek Stingley Jr. jumped Cooper Rush’s route in the first quarter for an interception. Rush targeted him five times but completed just one pass for eight yards. Stingley earned an 84.5 PFF grade for his coverage work, among the highest defensive grades on the team.
| Player | Tackles | Solo | INT | Yards | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Derek Stingley Jr. | 2 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 2 |
| Calen Bullock | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Jimmie Ward | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Dallas’s Offensive Breakdown
Cooper Rush threw 55 passes for 354 yards. That’s 6.4 yards per attempt, but those numbers came mostly when Houston played prevent coverage late. He was sacked five times for 34 yards. The offensive line lost three starters during the game: Tyler Guyton, Zack Martin, and Tyler Smith all left with injuries. Those exits sealed Dallas’s fate.
| Player | Comp/Att | Yards | TD | INT | Sacks | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper Rush | 32/55 | 354 | 1 | 1 | 5-34 | 75.9 |
| Bryan Anger | 1/1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0-0 | 83.3 |
Ground Game Goes Nowhere
Dallas gained 3.6 yards per carry and abandoned the run early. Rico Dowdle carried just 10 times even though the game stayed within two scores deep into the third quarter.
| Player | Carries | Yards | Average | TDS | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rico Dowdle | 10 | 28 | 2.8 | 0 | 9 |
| Deuce Vaughn | 4 | 13 | 3.3 | 0 | 7 |
| CeeDee Lamb | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 0 | 13 |
| Ezekiel Elliott | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 0 | 8 |
| Cooper Rush | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 0 | 2 |
Lamb Works Hard, Gets Little Help
Eight catches on 12 targets for 93 yards. CeeDee Lamb worked hard all night with little support. KaVontae Turpin’s three catches for 86 yards and a touchdown came almost entirely on one 64-yard bomb early in the second quarter. After that play, the offense stalled repeatedly.
| Player | Targets | Receptions | Yards | Average | TDS | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CeeDee Lamb | 12 | 8 | 93 | 11.6 | 0 | 29 |
| KaVontae Turpin | 3 | 3 | 86 | 28.7 | 1 | 64 |
| Luke Schoonmaker | 10 | 6 | 56 | 9.3 | 0 | 24 |
| Brevyn Spann-Ford | 5 | 4 | 42 | 10.5 | 0 | 17 |
| Jalen Tolbert | 5 | 2 | 21 | 10.5 | 0 | 15 |
| Ryan Flournoy | 3 | 2 | 19 | 9.5 | 0 | 15 |
| Ezekiel Elliott | 3 | 3 | 16 | 5.3 | 0 | 9 |
| Jake Ferguson | 1 | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 0 | 11 |
| Rico Dowdle | 5 | 2 | 6 | 3.0 | 0 | 5 |
| Juanyeh Thomas | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 |
| Deuce Vaughn | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 |
| Jonathan Mingo | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
Dallas Defense Gets Exposed
Houston’s quick-passing scheme made Micah Parsons invisible. One assisted tackle. Zero solo stops. Zero sacks. Zero tackles for loss. He drew two costly penalties but never disrupted Stroud or pressured him into bad throws.
| Player | Tackles | Solo | Sacks | TEL | QB Hits | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eric Kendricks | 9 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Malik Hooker | 8 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Trevon Diggs | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Josh Butler | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| DeMarvion Overshown | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Donovan Wilson | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Israel Mukuamu | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mazi Smith | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osa Odighizuwa | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Chauncey Golston | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marist Liufau | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Malik Hooker’s first-quarter interception gave Dallas an early opportunity. But the defense allowed 141 rushing yards at 5.6 per carry and couldn’t force stops when needed most.
Game Context and Implications
Cooper Rush made his second start since Dak Prescott’s season-ending hamstring injury. Dallas dropped to 3-7 with their fifth straight loss. The Cowboys made NFL history in the worst way possible, becoming the first team ever to trail by 20 or more points at some point during six consecutive home games, counting their playoff loss to Green Bay the previous January.
Jake Ferguson left in the first quarter with a concussion. Markquese Bell exited in the second quarter with a shoulder injury. Then the offensive line collapsed in the fourth quarter when Guyton, Martin, and Smith all left the game. Those injuries directly led to the strip-sack fumble return touchdown that buried any comeback hopes.
Houston improved to 7-4 and kept a two-game lead in the AFC South. They recovered from their Week 10 loss to Detroit, where they blew a 23-7 halftime lead despite picking off Jared Goff five times. The complete box score shows Houston dominated both lines and converted turnovers into points.
Special Teams Edge
Tommy Townsend posted 52.5 yards per punt on four attempts, dropping three inside the Dallas 20. Bryan Anger managed 41.0 yards per punt on two attempts for the Cowboys. That 11.5-yard gap meant Dallas started drives consistently backed up in their own territory.
Ka’imi Fairbairn went 2-for-2 on field goals (33, 29 yards) and 4-for-4 on extra points. Brandon Aubrey connected from 53 yards but missed a critical 40-yarder before halftime. His plant foot slipped on the turf and the kick clanged off the right upright, keeping it a 17-10 game instead of 17-13.
Mike McCarthy called a fake punt on 4th-and-9 from his own 33 while trailing just 7-0 in the first quarter. Bryan Anger completed his pass to Juanyeh Thomas, but they came up short of the sticks. The call screamed panic.
The Play That Sealed It
Early in the fourth quarter, on 2nd-and-6 from the Dallas 40, Derek Barnett timed his rush perfectly. He stripped Cooper Rush mid-throw. The ball bounced off an offensive lineman’s back right into Tyler Guyton’s hands. As Guyton tried to advance, Jalen Pitre and Dylan Horton converged and knocked the ball loose again. Barnett hadn’t stopped moving. He scooped the bouncing ball and raced 28 yards untouched to the end zone.
That bizarre sequence captured Dallas’s miserable season in one chaotic play. NFL.com’s game recap called it the moment Dallas’s comeback hopes died.
Efficiency Metrics
Houston gained 6.5 yards per play on 60 offensive snaps. Dallas managed 4.9 yards per play on 79 snaps. The Texans did more with less. Both teams converted 33% of their third downs, but fourth down separated them. Houston converted when it mattered. Dallas went 0-for-4, including the botched fake punt and a fourth-and-2 incompletion from the Houston 8 in the third quarter.
Scheme Analysis
Bobby Slowik built his game plan around quick releases. Stroud’s 2.39-second delivery time prevented Dallas from generating pressure with four-man rushes. When Mike Zimmer brought extra blitzers, Stroud had hot routes ready and hit them consistently.
Screen passes to Mixon and Collins created chunk yardage. Mixon caught one screen and rumbled 37 yards to set up a field goal. The opening snap featured a screen to Collins that went 77 yards to the end zone, though officials called it back for an ineligible receiver downfield. Despite the penalty, Houston scored on that drive anyway.
Dallas struggled in coverage throughout. The official Cowboys recap noted the defense couldn’t generate consistent pressure or cover effectively, a deadly combination that led to Houston controlling the game.
AT&T Stadium’s Nightmare Season
The home misery started in January and never stopped. Dallas trailed by 20 or more points at some point during six consecutive home games, an NFL record:
- Wild Card vs Packers (January 2024)
- Week 2 vs Saints
- Week 3 vs Ravens
- Week 6 vs Lions
- Week 10 vs Eagles
- Week 11 vs Texans
AT&T Stadium became a nightmare venue. The infamous sun controversy, roof debris falling before this game’s kickoff, and the 0-5 home record in 2024 turned the billion-dollar palace into a punchline.
The Week 6 blowout loss to Detroit showed early warning signs of the home collapse that defined Dallas’s 2024 season.
Advanced Statistical Analysis
Pressure and Sacks
Houston pressured Rush on 26.2% of his dropbacks but converted that into five sacks. Dallas pressured Stroud on 42.5% of his dropbacks but got him down just once. Stroud’s quick release and pocket mobility made him nearly impossible to finish.
Red Zone Performance
Houston reached the red zone four times and scored on every trip: two touchdowns and two field goals. Dallas reached the red zone once and came away empty after the fourth-down incompletion.
Expected Points Added
Houston’s offense generated +11.80 EPA compared to Dallas’s -11.82 EPA. On defense, Houston posted +11.82 EPA while Dallas allowed -11.80 EPA. Special teams slightly favored Dallas (+4.13 to -4.13), mostly from KaVontae Turpin’s kick returns.
Season Trajectories
At 7-4, Houston sat two games ahead of Indianapolis in the AFC South. The win proved critical after their crushing Week 10 loss to Detroit. The defense showed it could dominate even without Will Anderson Jr., which gave Matt Burke’s unit confidence heading into December.
When the offensive line protected Stroud adequately despite constant pressure, it showed resilience. ESPN’s full recap highlighted Houston’s balanced attack as essential to their playoff push.
Dallas sat at 3-7 with seven games left and virtually no playoff hope. Dak Prescott was finished for the year. The offensive line was depleted. The defense couldn’t stop anyone. Massive offseason changes were coming.
Game’s Most Valuable Player
Derek Barnett earned MVP honors with his complete performance. The strip-sack, fumble recovery, and 28-yard touchdown return shifted the game’s entire momentum. He forced both fumbles on that sequence, giving him two forced fumbles on the stat sheet.
His awareness after the initial strip showed veteran instincts. Instead of relaxing after making the play, he tracked the loose ball through traffic, scooped it cleanly, and accelerated to the end zone. Those heads-up instincts sealed Houston’s win.
Statistical Summary
When these teams met for Monday Night Football in Week 11 of the 2024 season, the player stats showed Houston controlled both lines of scrimmage, forced critical turnovers at key moments, and executed in the red zone. Dallas ran more plays and earned more first downs but couldn’t convert those advantages into points when they mattered most. The 34-10 final score accurately reflected Houston’s dominance despite Dallas’s yardage totals. Joe Mixon’s three rushing touchdowns and Derek Barnett’s defensive score highlighted what separated these teams: Houston finished drives and created explosive plays that the Cowboys simply couldn’t match in their worst home season in decades.
