The Houston Texans and the Dallas Cowboys do not play each other very often. Both teams are from Texas, so every game feels big for fans. On October 4, 2026, they met for the eighth time, and the player stats were wild. The Cowboys came back from a 10-point deficit at halftime and won 34-30.
All numbers come from news reports by the Associated Press and from public box scores. The sources are listed at the end.
Quick Facts About the Latest Game
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Date | Sunday, October 4, 2026 |
| Place | Houston, Texas |
| Final score | Cowboys 34, Texans 30 |
| Halftime score | Texans 16, Cowboys 6 |
| Second half | Cowboys 28, Texans 14 |
| Records after the game | Cowboys 2-2, Texans 0-4 |
Before this game, the Cowboys led the all-time series 4-3. After the win, the Cowboys lead 5-3. The Texans won the very first game between the teams in 2002 by a score of 19-10.
How the Latest Game Went
The first half: Houston in control
The Texans started fast. On the first play of the game, receiver Nico Collins caught a pass and ran 45 yards. He finished the drive with a 7-yard touchdown catch. Houston led 7-0.
Both kickers had a busy day. Dallas kicker Brandon Aubrey is known for long kicks, but he had two big misses. Texans defensive end Will Anderson blocked his 62-yard try. Later, Aubrey missed a 65-yard try, and the ball went wide left.
Houston kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn made a 39-yard field goal and a 54-yard field goal. The Texans went into halftime with a 16-6 lead.
The second half: Dallas wakes up
The Cowboys came out strong. Running back Javonte Williams ran for an 8-yard touchdown on the first drive of the third quarter. Houston answered when Collins scored his second touchdown, and the Texans led 23-13.
Then Dallas got a lucky break. The Cowboys had the ball near the goal line, and two penalties on Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter gave them extra chances. One was a pass interference call, and the other was a holding call. Williams scored from the 1-yard line. He added another short score from the 2-yard line, and Dallas led 27-23.
Houston did not give up. Quarterback C.J. Stroud led a nine-play drive of 87 yards. On a big third down, Stroud threw a short pass to tight end Dalton Schultz. Schultz then tossed the ball sideways to running back David Montgomery, who ran 19 yards. Woody Marks scored from 6 yards out, and Houston led 30-27 with 2:23 left.
Dallas had one more chance. Quarterback Dak Prescott drove his team 74 yards in 11 plays. The drive included a successful fourth-down play. Prescott finished it with a 12-yard touchdown pass to CeeDee Lamb with 40 seconds left. Stroud’s last pass for Houston fell incomplete, and the game was over.
Player Stats From the Latest Game
Here are the main numbers for the stars of the game.
Quarterbacks
| Player | Team | Completions / Attempts | Passing yards | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C.J. Stroud | Texans | 21 of 31 | 347 | 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions |
| Dak Prescott | Cowboys | 32 of 45 | 335 | Game-winning touchdown pass to Lamb |
Stroud threw for the most yards in the game, but he still lost. Prescott threw for slightly fewer yards, but he made the big throw when it counted.
Receivers
| Player | Team | Catches | Receiving yards | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CeeDee Lamb | Cowboys | 17 | 189 | 1 |
| Nico Collins | Texans | 7 | 118 | 2 |
Lamb set a new career high with 17 catches. Only one Cowboys player has ever caught more passes in a single game. That player is Jason Witten, who had 18 catches in 2012. This game was also special for Lamb because he grew up near Houston after his family moved there when he was a child.
Collins was also great. He had missed two games with a hamstring injury, and he came back with two touchdowns.
Running backs
| Player | Team | Carries | Rushing yards | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Javonte Williams | Cowboys | 19 | 62 | 3 |
| Woody Marks | Texans | Not listed | Not listed | 1 |
Williams did not run for a lot of yards, but he scored three times. All three touchdowns came in the second half. That is a career high for him.
Defense and special teams
- Will Anderson (Texans): Blocked a 62-yard field goal try.
- Jadeveon Clowney (Texans): Stopped Williams for a loss of 3 yards on a play near the goal line, but Dallas still scored soon after.
- George Pickens (Cowboys): Caught a 53-yard pass that moved Dallas to the 11-yard line.
- Jaylin Noel (Texans): Returned a kickoff 53 yards to give Houston great field position.
- Joey Porter Jr. (Cowboys): Played a lot in his first game for Dallas. The Cowboys got him in a trade from the Steelers only a few days earlier.
What the Stats Do Not Show
At first, the Texans’ numbers look better. Stroud threw for more yards than Prescott, and he did not throw an interception. So why did Houston lose?
The answer is in the second half. The Texans’ defense gave up 28 points after halftime. The penalties on Lassiter also gave Dallas two free first downs right at the goal line. Houston coach DeMeco Ryans said his team moved the ball well but did not play well enough on defense.
This is a good lesson for any football fan. Yards are nice, but points win games. A team can gain a lot of yards and still lose if it cannot stop the other side.
The Last Match: Texans 34, Cowboys 10 (November 18, 2024)
The two teams played before the 2026 game on a Monday night in Arlington, Texas. Houston won 34-10. It was a very different game from the one in 2026.
The Cowboys were not at full strength. Dak Prescott was out for the season with a hamstring injury, so backup Cooper Rush played quarterback. Dallas also lost tight end Jake Ferguson to a concussion, and two starting offensive linemen got hurt.
Key player stats
| Player | Team | Stats |
|---|---|---|
| Joe Mixon | Texans | 3 rushing touchdowns (45 yards, 1 yard, 1 yard) |
| C.J. Stroud | Texans | 23 of 34 passing, 257 yards, 0 touchdowns, 1 interception |
| Derek Barnett | Texans | 28-yard fumble return for a touchdown |
| Danielle Hunter | Texans | 2 sacks |
| Cooper Rush | Cowboys | 32 of 55 passing, 354 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception, 5 sacks taken |
| CeeDee Lamb | Cowboys | 8 catches, 93 yards |
| KaVontae Turpin | Cowboys | 64-yard touchdown catch |
| Brandon Aubrey | Cowboys | 53-yard field goal |
Notice how Rush threw for 354 yards but still lost by 24 points. This is the same lesson again. The Texans sacked him five times, and Barnett’s fumble return put the game out of reach. Houston’s running game also did the job. The Texans ran 25 times for 141 yards and scored three rushing touchdowns, all by Mixon.
Stroud did not need to be perfect in this game. He threw no touchdown passes, but he kept the offense moving and let the running game and defense do the work.
An Older Classic: Cowboys 27, Texans 23 (December 11, 2022)
This game is a favorite for many fans because Houston almost pulled off a huge upset. The Texans had a record of 1-11-1 before the game. The Cowboys were 16.5-point favorites. But Houston led 20-17 at halftime and was ahead late in the fourth quarter.
Key player stats
| Player | Team | Stats |
|---|---|---|
| Dak Prescott | Cowboys | 24 of 39 passing, 284 yards, 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions |
| Tony Pollard | Cowboys | 2 touchdowns (a run and a catch) |
| Ezekiel Elliott | Cowboys | Game-winning touchdown run with 41 seconds left |
| Dameon Pierce | Texans | 22 carries, 78 yards, 1 touchdown |
| Chris Moore | Texans | 10 catches, 124 yards |
| Ka’imi Fairbairn | Texans | 3 field goals (43, 50 and 54 yards) |
| Jeff Driskel | Texans | 28-yard touchdown pass to Amari Rodgers |
Texans defensive back Tremon Smith intercepted Prescott twice, and the second one put Houston at the Dallas 4-yard line. The Texans could not score a touchdown there. Dallas stopped them on fourth down.
Then Prescott showed why he is a top quarterback. His team started at its own 2-yard line, and he went 6 of 6 for 79 yards on the winning drive. It covered 98 yards, and Elliott scored with 41 seconds left.
How to Read Football Stats
If you are new to football, the numbers can look confusing. Here is a simple guide to the short words used in box scores.
- C/ATT: Completions and attempts. For example, “21/31” means a quarterback completed 21 passes out of 31 tries.
- YDS: Yards. This is how far the ball moved.
- TD: Touchdown. A touchdown is worth 6 points, and the extra kick is worth 1 more.
- INT: Interception. This is when the defense catches a pass thrown by the quarterback.
- ATT or CAR: Attempts or carries. For a running back, this is how many times he ran with the ball.
- REC: Receptions, or catches.
- TAR: Targets. This is how many times a quarterback threw the ball toward a player.
- SCK: Sacks. This is when a defender tackles the quarterback before he can throw.
- LG: Longest play. It shows the player’s biggest gain.
- FG: Field goal, worth 3 points.
When you read player stats, look at three things first: yards, touchdowns, and turnovers. A player with many yards and few turnovers usually had a great day. Then check the team stats, like sacks and penalties, because they often explain the final score.
What the Numbers Tell Us About This Series
Here are a few simple lessons from the three games above.
- Big passing numbers do not guarantee a win. Stroud threw for 347 yards in 2026 and lost. Rush threw for 354 yards in 2024 and lost by 24 points. Stroud won in 2024 with only 257 yards.
- Turnovers and sacks change games. In 2024, five sacks and a fumble return helped Houston win by 24 points.
- Late drives matter most. In 2022 and in 2026, Dallas won with a last-minute touchdown drive.
- Close games are common. Two of the three games ended with a final margin of four points or fewer.
The rivalry is still young. The Texans started playing in 2002, and the teams have met only eight times. Because the games are so rare, every match gets a lot of attention.
Where to Find Real Match Stats
If you want to check the numbers yourself, these free places are useful:
- ESPN: Gives box scores, team stats, and scoring plays for every NFL game.
- Pro Football Reference: Has very detailed box scores and past games.
- NFL.com: The official site of the league.
- Covers.com: Shows player stats, records, and betting information.
Be careful with random blogs. Some of them copy each other and leave empty placeholders or wrong numbers. Always compare at least two trusted sources before you share a stat.
Final Thoughts
The Houston Texans vs Dallas Cowboys player stats tell an exciting story. In 2026, two quarterbacks threw for more than 330 yards each, and a star receiver set a career high. In 2024, a strong running game and a hard-hitting defense gave Houston an easy win. In 2022, a late drive saved Dallas from a big surprise.
The best way to read these stats is to look beyond the biggest number on the page. Check the turnovers, the penalties, and what happened in the final minutes. Those details usually explain why a team won or lost.
Next time these two Texas teams meet, you will know exactly where to look.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the latest Houston Texans vs Dallas Cowboys game?
The Dallas Cowboys won the latest game on October 4, 2026. The final score was 34-30. The Cowboys trailed 16-6 at halftime, but they scored 28 points in the second half. CeeDee Lamb caught the winning 12-yard touchdown pass from Dak Prescott with 40 seconds left. The loss dropped the Texans to 0-4.
Which players had the best stats in the match?
CeeDee Lamb had the biggest day. He caught 17 passes for 189 yards and the winning touchdown. Javonte Williams ran for three touchdowns. For Houston, C.J. Stroud threw for 347 yards and two touchdowns, and Nico Collins had 7 catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns. Dak Prescott also played well with 335 passing yards on 32 completions.
What is the all-time record between the Texans and the Cowboys?
Before the October 2026 game, the Cowboys led the series 4-3. After the win, they lead 5-3. The Texans won the first game ever played between the teams in 2002 by a score of 19-10. Houston also won big in 2024 with a 34-10 victory. The teams do not play every year, so each game is special.
