Houston Texans vs Dallas Cowboys Match Player Stats (Nov 18, 2024)
The Houston Texans vs Dallas Cowboys match player stats from November 18, 2024 tells one hell of a story of Texas beatdown at AT&T Stadium. The Texans rolled their in-state rivals 34-10, with Joe Mixon’s three-touchdown performance and a wild defensive score powering the victory.
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Texans Jump Ahead Early Against Cowboys
Houston hit the gas immediately, with Mixon breaking loose for a 45-yard TD run on their opening drive. Before the first quarter ended, he’d found paydirt again on a 1-yard plunge, staking the Texans to a 14-0 lead.
Dallas showed some life when KaVontae Turpin turned a reception into a 64-yard touchdown sprint, trimming the deficit to 17-10 before halftime.
The second half was all Houston. The Texans defense completely shut out the Cowboys while adding 17 unanswered points, turning what had been a competitive game into a blowout as Dallas dropped their fifth straight contest.
Tale of Two Stat Lines
The final numbers reveal an interesting contradiction:
| Stat | Texans | Cowboys |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 391 | 388 |
| Passing | 250 | 324 |
| Rushing | 141 | 64 |
| Yards/Play | 6.5 | 4.9 |
| Red Zone TDs | 2/4 | 0/1 |
| 4th Down | 1/2 | 0/4 |
| Sacks | 5 | 1 |
Nearly identical total yardage, completely different outcomes. The official box score shows why: Dallas moved between the 20s but went 0-for-1 in the red zone and failed on all four fourth-down attempts.
CBS broadcaster Tony Romo summed it up during the telecast: “Dallas is moving the ball, but they’re not finishing drives.”
Mixon’s Triple Crown Performance
Joe Mixon put together a complete game against the Cowboys’ struggling defense:
- 20 carries, 109 yards (5.5 avg)
- 3 rushing touchdowns
- 2 catches, 44 yards
- 153 total yards
His opening drive 45-yard score set the tone as he found a cutback lane and outran defenders to the end zone. This marked his sixth consecutive game with a touchdown, a Texans franchise record according to the Houston Texans official site.
“I thought we had a hell of a week of practice and it started with that,” Mixon told ESPN in his post-game interview. “We knew we were going to get their best shot.”
Head coach DeMeco Ryans praised his running back and offensive line after the game: “He’s a force for us. Over 100 yards, three touchdowns, I just really liked the way we just kept churning it in the run game.”
Stroud Leads Efficient Passing Attack
C.J. Stroud didn’t need touchdowns through the air to control the game:
- 23/34, 257 yards
- 0 TDs, 1 INT
- 26 rushing yards
- Just 1 sack taken
The second-year quarterback spread the ball to eight different receivers and kept drives alive with timely completions. His connection with Nico Collins, who returned after missing five games with a hamstring injury, added a vertical element that had been missing from the offense.
Collins finished with 4 catches for 54 yards, including an apparent 77-yard touchdown on the game’s first play that was nullified by a penalty.
Barnett’s Game-Changing Defensive Score
The decisive moment came early in the fourth quarter. With Houston leading 20-10, Derek Barnett blasted around the edge and strip-sacked Cooper Rush. After Cowboys tackle Tyler Guyton recovered but fumbled again when hit by Jalen Pitre, Barnett scooped the ball and raced 28 yards untouched to the end zone.
“Derek Barnett, the play he made, really changed the game for us,” Ryans said after the game. “It flipped the momentum and got everybody juiced up on the sideline.”
According to NFL.com, this defensive score capped a dominant second half where the Texans defense pitched a shutout and harassed Rush relentlessly.
The Texans defense dominated across the board:
- 5 total sacks (2 from Danielle Hunter)
- 2 takeaways
- Complete second-half shutout
“To shut them out in the second half, that was a bigger deal to me than us scoring a touchdown,” Ryans added.
Cowboys’ Offense Falls Flat
Cooper Rush (32/55, 354 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) struggled to replace the injured Dak Prescott. His task became nearly impossible when All-Pro guard Zack Martin and guard Tyler Smith both exited with injuries.
Dallas couldn’t establish any ground attack:
- 64 total rushing yards (3.6 avg)
- Rico Dowdle: 10 carries, 28 yards (2.8 avg)
“We’ve got to be better in critical situations,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said in his post-game comments. “We moved the ball between the 20s, but we couldn’t finish drives.”
Lamb & Turpin: Rare Bright Spots
CeeDee Lamb battled through tight coverage to haul in 8 passes for 93 yards, maintaining his status as the Cowboys’ most reliable offensive weapon.
Turpin provided Dallas’ lone highlight with his explosive 64-yard touchdown reception, showing the speed that makes him dangerous both as a receiver and returner.
Rookie tight end Luke Schoonmaker (6 catches, 56 yards) showed development as a receiving option for the Dallas Cowboys in an otherwise forgettable offensive showing.
Season Trajectories: Teams Heading Opposite Ways
This convincing win lifted the Houston Texans to 7-4, strengthening their position atop the AFC South. According to Pro Football Reference, they would finish the regular season 10-7, win their Wild Card game, and advance to the Divisional Round.
For Dallas, this fifth consecutive loss dropped them to 3-7, a shocking fall for a preseason Super Bowl contender. Owner Jerry Jones expressed his disappointment after the game: “This isn’t what we expect from our football team. We have to find answers, and quickly.”
The Cowboys never recovered from this midseason collapse, finishing 7-10 and missing the playoffs entirely.
Texans-Cowboys Takeaways
- Joe Mixon scored three touchdowns, extending his TD streak to six consecutive games
- Derek Barnett’s 28-yard fumble return touchdown broke the game open in the fourth quarter
- The Texans defense recorded five sacks and completely shut out Dallas in the second half
- Cowboys went 0-for-4 on fourth down attempts and 0-for-1 in red zone opportunities
- Both teams gained nearly identical total yardage (391-388) but with drastically different results
The Houston Texans vs Dallas Cowboys match player stats reveal that yards don’t always translate to points. While Dallas nearly matched Houston’s total yardage, the Texans dominated where it counts – in the red zone, on critical downs, and with momentum-shifting plays that turned this Texas rivalry into a rout.
