HOUSTON – Both the Cowboys and Texans had to have the game. Not only is this an in-state rivalry, but the records indicated how important it was to both teams.
That was evident in how physical the game was from start to finish, with many huge plays occurring back and forth. But like always, there are some plays that can get overlooked. Here are a handful that might have changed the outcome:
Turpin's second-half kickoff return – The Cowboys were down by 10 thanks to some questionable decisions before halftime. Regardless of the situation, being down by two scores at the start of the third quarter calls for a sense of urgency. And it can't start any quicker than the second-half kickoff, when KaVontae Turpin gave the Cowboys a huge jumpstart with a 48-yard kickoff return. The Cowboys were able to use that spark to go score within the first two minutes, igniting a 28-point second half.
Houston penalty on fourth down – The Cowboys were down 10 again after the Texans answered their first touchdown of the third quarter, but once again, the offense had moved inside the 10-yard line. The Cowboys faced a fourth-and-goal and decided to go for it, rather than take the three points. But what looked like a turnover on downs after an incomplete pass was overruled by a flag in the end zone. Once again, George Pickens was held during his route, prompting a huge penalty that gave the Cowboys another first-and-goal. This time, Javonte Williams scored to cut the lead to three.
Lamb gets 21 on second-and-18 – Trailing 23-20 early in the fourth, the Cowboys had consecutive penalties that pushed them back to first-and-25. After a 7-yard catch by Ryan Flournoy, it was still second-and-18 at the Houston 41-yard line, and a game-tying field goal seemed to be the most realistic option. But that changed when CeeDee Lamb hauled in a 21-yard catch for a first down. That opened the door for the Cowboys to score again and take their first lead of the game.
Ferguson's clutch fourth-down catch – On the final drive of the game, the Cowboys never get to the end zone if they don't convert on a fourth-and-4 pass to Jake Ferguson, who made a sliding catch over the middle to move the chains. Without that, it's unlikely the Cowboys even get the ball back. That gave the offense a new series, and that's how the rest of the drive continued with the Cowboys eventually taking the lead.
Lamb stays inbounds; Texans call timeout – The same strategy the Texans used before halftime to help them get their final points of the second quarter actually worked against them this time. The Texans were up three, and the Cowboys were on the move to either tie the game or take the lead. But the fact that Houston burned all of its timeouts on that drive not only helped the Cowboys call the right plays to go win the game but also gave the Texans no timeouts in the final 40 seconds. On one play, Prescott hit Lamb for 15 yards on the right sideline and stayed in bounds. The Texans chose to call their first timeout at the 1:02 mark. Without that, it might have led the Cowboys to make sure and play it safe for a field goal. The Texans using their timeouts was a big reason the Cowboys were able to win the game with a go-ahead touchdown.
