Oct. 4
5:21 p.m. – What a difference a week makes. This time, down in the goal line, the Cowboys didn't go away from Javonte Williams. In fact, they fed him the ball over and over as he scored three touchdowns.
The 3-TD game is the most since by a Cowboys running back on the ground since Tony Pollard had three against Chicago in 2022.
Ironically, while the Cowboys have received criticism for not giving Wiliams the ball more near the goal line, he's still scored seven touchdowns in the first four games. The last time a Cowboys player found the end zone seven times over four games was Emmitt Smith, in his record-breaking season of 1995, when he had 25 rushing touchdowns.
Overall, Williams rushed for 62 yards and also had five catches for 21 yards.
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5:14 p.m. – Dak Prescott not only added another game-winning drive and fourth-quarter comeback, but he moved into a tie on the Cowboys' all-time leaderboard in wins.
With the victory, Prescott is now tied with Roger Staubach for 85 career regular-season wins, which is second in franchise history behind Troy Aikman (95).
Prescott had his first 300-yard game of the season with 335 yards, including 254 in the second half, the most in a half since a 2020 game against Cleveland.
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5:08 p.m. – Quinnen Williams provided a big play for the Cowboys in the fourth quarter, recording a sack on Houston's C.J. Stroud.
It was Williams' first sack of the season, giving him 42.5 career sacks since he joined the league in 2019, the seventh-most by a defensive tackle in that span.
Williams also registered two tackles for loss, his first multi-TFL game since joining the Cowboys in a mid-season trade last year.
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5:03 p.m. – After suffering a fractured forearm in Week 1, Malik Hooker was not placed on IR-to return, with the hopes he could return before the four-week window.
Not only did he play against Houston in Week 4, but he led the Cowboys in both tackles with seven, and had the only two pass deflections by the Cowboys on Sunday. His two PBUs were both critical, including the last one, which was credited to Hooker for knocking down Houston's Hail Mary attempt on the final play of the game.
Hooker's return was more than needed for a safety group that also has Jalen Williams and P.J. Locke already on IR.
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4:58 p.m. – Veteran pass-rusher Rashan Gary registered his first sack since joining the Cowboys in the offseason.
Gary was the most active he's been all season, including the second-quarter sack on Stroud when he and Kenny Clark flushed the Texans QB out of the pocket and Gary finished the play with a force out of bounds.
Gary's second was the first for the Cowboys since the Week 1 game against the Giants, and the first of two on Sunday as Quinnen Williams had another in the fourth quarter.
10:30 a.m. -- Joey Porter Jr. will officially make his debut for the Cowboys against the Texans.
The former second-round pick was acquired by the Cowboys earlier in the week via trade with the Steelers and, after passing his physical and being a full participant in practices, is cleared to take the field at Reliant Stadium.
It will likely be on a pitch count, however, although that is to-be-determined based upon the flow of the game.
Cowboys' inactives for Week 4 include DeMarvion Overshown, Cobie Durant, Caelen Carson, Emari Demercado, James Houston, Ajani Cornelius and Camden Brown.
Oct. 3
2:20 p.m. -- With injuries in the secondary, the Cowboys have elevated DBs Reddy Steward and Juanyeh Thomas from the practice squad to the active roster for Sunday's game against the Texans.
Dallas will potentially get some help back in Houston, as both S Malik Hooker (forearm) and CB Shavon Revel (knee/ankle) practiced in full on Friday and do not have a game status designation.
Additionally, new Cowboys CB Joey Porter Jr., who had been listed with a back injury in Pittsburgh before getting traded, was not on the injury report all week and will also be available for Dallas. Cowboys COO/co-owner Stephen Jones said on 105.3 The Fan Friday that Porter "is going to get snaps" against the Texans.
Oct. 2
3 p.m. - Help is on the way for the Cowboys safety unit, and it is much-needed, given how ravaged that room has been by injury through the first three weeks of the 2026 season.
Malik Hooker was not given a game designation on Friday after returning to practice this week following a fractured forearm suffered in Week 1.
The veteran safety missed the last two games due to the injury, and returns to help a safety unit missing Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke.
Shavon Revel appears to have dodged a bullet after suffering a hyperextended right knee in Brazil, limited in practice this week before returning to full participation on Friday and, also not having a game designation, appears to be a go for the trip to Houston.
11:19 a.m. - For the third straight game, DeMarvion Overshown will not play for the Cowboys due to a hamstring injury.
While he's been rehabbing during practice, Overshown "will not be back for Houston" as announced by head coach Brian Schottenheimer during Friday's press conference.
Overshown suffered the injury in the second half against the Giants in Week 1. Since then, he's been replaced at inside linebacker by rookie Jaishawn Barham, who continues to develop into his own.
Once Overshown returns to action, which could be as early as next Thursday vs. Tampa Bay, it'll be interesting to see how the Cowboys use their inside backers with Barham, Overshown and Dee Winters.
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11:14 a.m. - There is a chance the Cowboys could get more secondary relief than just Joey Porter Jr. In his press conference on Friday, Brian Schottenheimer gave some encouraging news on both cornerback Shavon Revel and safety Malik Hooker.
"Revel will start with (Director of Rehab, athletic trainer Britt Brown) today and see how he does with that and try to get him going into practice," Schotty said. "We'll see how that goes."
Revel has a knee and ankle injury that occurred late in the fourth quarter against the Ravens in Rio.
"(Hooker) is trending towards playing and Cobie Durant is doing a good job with his rehab but he still has a ways to go."
Hooker suffered a fractured forearm against the Giants in Week 1 and has missed the last two games. Durant has a hamstring injury that forced him to miss last week's game.
The Cowboys are likely trying to monitor these injuries for not only Sunday's game in Houston, but the following short-week against the Bucs on OCt. 8 - just four days after the Texans game.
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Oct. 1
Noon — A lot of regrets were forced into the Cowboys' luggage as they returned home from Rio with a 34-31 loss to account for.
The loss, in and of itself, hurt, but the fashion in which it occurred made things so much worse in the hearts and minds of the coaching staff and team — mistakes made in all three phases of the game.
For his part, defensive coordinator Christian Parker explains he learned a major lesson after calling man coverage with only a few seconds remaining, which allowed Lamar Jackson to connect with Zay Flowers for a 26-yard reception that set up the game-winning field goal with only one second left to play.
"Oh, for sure. You know, I had a original call in mind, but overthought the situation, relative to what their mindset was going to be going over time, trying to get some quick Hail Mary, all those things," Parker said. "So, I definitely would make a different call if that the situation came up again."
Sept. 30
4:15 p.m. -- Cowboys CB Shavon Revel (knee/ankle) did not participate in Wednesday's practice, while S Malik Hooker (forearm) was able to return in limited capacity.
OLB James Houston (shoulder) was a full participant, plus CB Cobie Durant (hamstring) and LB DeMarvion Overshown (hamstring) were both non-participants, as they worked with Cowboys director of rehab Britt Brown on the resistance cords.
For Houston, LB Azeez Al-Shaair (groin) did not participate. DE Will Anderson (ankle), S Calen Bullock (quad), DE Jadeveon Clowney (knee) and WR Nico Collins (hamstring) were all limited for the Texans.
For the full injury report on both sides, click here.
Sept. 29
5:00 p.m. -- On Tuesday, the Cowboys hosted five defensive players for tryouts as injuries have begun to pile up for Christian Parker's unit, especially in the secondary.
DB Juanyeh Thomas, DB Alex Austin, DB Shemar Bartholomew, DB Tyrek Funderburk and LB Germaine Pratt were all part of the tryout, according to the league's transaction wire.
Thomas is a familiar face for Dallas. He signed with the Cowboys after going undrafted out of Georgia Tech in 2022, and played in 36 games, starting four, with Dallas from 2023-25.
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