Houston Texans vs Dallas Cowboys Match Player Stats & Highlights

The battle for Texas wasn’t much of a fight once the lights came up on Monday Night Football. In a Week 11 showdown that exposed the widening gap between the two franchises, the Houston Texans vs dallas cowboys match player stats painted a picture of absolute dominance. Joe Mixon turned AT&T Stadium into his personal playground, and the Houston defense delivered a crushing Blow to a Dallas team already reeling from the loss of Dak Prescott. For Houston, it was a statement win that solidified their grip on the AFC South; for Dallas, it was a fifth straight home loss, all by double digits.

The Stakes: Rivalry Pride and Playoff Positioning

The Texans (7-4) arrived in Arlington looking to snap a two-game skid and prove they belonged in the AFC elite. Meanwhile, the Cowboys (3-7) were fighting for pride and relevance in a season that has quickly spiraled. While the total yardage was surprisingly close, the houston texans vs dallas cowboys match player stats show that Houston won every “weighty” moment, from red-zone efficiency to defensive takeaways.

Game Flow Narrative: The Mixon Machine

Houston set the tone on their very first drive. After a 77-yard touchdown to Nico Collins was called back due to a penalty, Joe Mixon simply took the next opportunity to sprint 45 yards for a score. Dallas briefly kept things interesting in the second quarter when Cooper Rush found KaVontae Turpin for a lightning-fast 64-yard touchdown, cutting the lead to 14-7.

However, the “turning point” arrived in the fourth quarter. With Houston leading 20-10, defensive end Derek Barnett strip-sacked Cooper Rush. In a bizarre sequence, Cowboys lineman Tyler Guyton recovered the fumble, only to be hit by Jalen Pitre, causing a second fumble that Barnett scooped up and returned 28 yards for a touchdown. That defensive score effectively ended the night, allowing Joe Mixon to add a third touchdown late and turn the game into a blowout.

Quick Game Facts

Final Score: Houston Texans 34, Dallas Cowboys 10
Date & Location: November 18, 2024 | AT&T Stadium (Arlington, TX)
Attendance: 92,969
Time of Possession: Texans (30:37) | Cowboys (29:23)
Takeaways: Texans 2 | Cowboys 1

The Statistical Core: Houston Texans vs Dallas Cowboys Match Player Stats

Top Performers Comparison

Category	Houston Texans	Dallas Cowboys
Passer	C.J. Stroud (257 Yds)	Cooper Rush (354 Yds)
Rusher	Joe Mixon (109 Yds, 3 TD)	Rico Dowdle (28 Yds)
Receiver	Nico Collins (54 Yds)	CeeDee Lamb (93 Yds)
Defensive Hero	Derek Barnett (1 TD, 1 Sack)	Malik Hooker (1 INT)

Team Efficiency Table

Metric	Houston Texans	Dallas Cowboys
First Downs	21	24
Total Yards	391	388
Rushing Yards	141	64
Passing Yards	250	324
Sacks Recorded	5	1
3rd Down Conv %	33.3% (4/12)	33.3% (5/15)
Red Zone Eff	2-for-3 (66%)	0-for-2 (0%)

The Quarterback Breakdown

C.J. Stroud: Efficient Orchestrator

Stroud’s entry in the houston texans vs dallas cowboys match player stats wasn’t flashy, but it was effective. Despite throwing an early interception, he managed the game with veteran poise, completing 67.6% of his passes. He didn’t throw a touchdown, but he didn’t need to; he kept the offense on schedule and let his running game and defense do the heavy lifting.

Cooper Rush: Empty Yardage

Cooper Rush finished with a career-high 354 passing yards, but much of that came in “garbage time” or resulted in stalled drives. Sacked 5 times and pressured on nearly 40% of his dropbacks, Rush struggled to find the end zone after the early strike to Turpin. His fumble-turned-touchdown for the Texans was the final nail in the coffin for the Cowboys’ offense.

QB Stat Comparison

Player	Comp/Att	Yards	TD/INT	Sacks	Rating
C.J. Stroud	23/34	257	0/1	1	77.7
Cooper Rush	32/55	354	1/1	5	75.9

Positional Deep Dives

The Ground War: Rushing Stats

The disparity here was the difference in the game. Joe Mixon averaged 5.5 yards per carry, while the entire Dallas team was held to just 3.6 yards per rush.

Player	Carries	Yards	Avg	TD	Long
Joe Mixon (HOU)	20	109	5.5	3	45
Rico Dowdle (DAL)	10	28	2.8	0	10
C.J. Stroud (HOU)	3	26	8.7	0	20

The Aerial Attack: Receiving Stats

While CeeDee Lamb led the game in yardage, KaVontae Turpin provided the biggest highlight. For Houston, the return of Nico Collins provided a steadying presence, even if his stat line was modest.

Player	Targets	Rec	Yards	TD	YPR
CeeDee Lamb (DAL)	12	8	93	0	11.6
KaVontae Turpin (DAL)	3	3	86	1	28.7
Nico Collins (HOU)	7	4	54	0	13.5
Tank Dell (HOU)	7	4	54	0	13.5

The Defensive Wall

Defensive Player of the Game: Derek Barnett (HOU)

Barnett was a one-man wrecking crew. His strip-sack and subsequent fumble recovery touchdown broke the game open. He was aided by Danielle Hunter, who recorded 2.0 sacks and 3 tackles for loss, making life miserable for a depleted Cowboys offensive line that lost stars Zack Martin and Tyler Smith during the game.

The Verdict

The houston texans vs dallas cowboys match player stats reveal that Houston is a complete team capable of winning even when their quarterback isn’t at his best. With Joe Mixon playing like a Pro Bowler and a defense that forces turnovers in bunches, the Texans are primed for a deep playoff run. For the Cowboys, the road ahead is grim; injuries and a lack of a run game have left them one-dimensional and vulnerable.

FAQ Section

Who won the Houston Texans vs Dallas Cowboys match?

The Houston Texans won the game 34-10, moving their record to 7-4.

What was the turning point of the game?

The turning point was Derek Barnett’s fumble return touchdown early in the fourth quarter. It turned a 20-10 lead into a 27-10 advantage and completely demoralized the Dallas sideline.