Guyton’s mistake won’t come close to “butt fumble” lore, but it summed up the sorry state of the Dallas Cowboys. Guyton, the Cowboys’ first-round draft pick and left tackle, allowed pressure on a fourth-quarter play against the Houston Texans, and quarterback Cooper Rush had the ball knocked out of his hands. Guyton scooped the ball out of the air and had visions of glory as he started to run. But he was hit by safety Jalen Pitre and learned that 322-pound men shouldn’t be carrying the ball in the NFL. Guyton fumbled, Texans defensive end Derek Barnett scooped it up and returned it 28 yards for a touchdown and a 17-point Texans lead.
Even worse, Guyton injured his shoulder on the hit and left the game.
The way the Cowboys’ offense has played with Rush, everyone knew 17 points was way too much of a hole for the Cowboys to get out of. Dallas fans could feel free to turn in early, if they hadn’t already.
The Texans didn’t play very well but they didn’t have to. The Cowboys at least kept it relatively close after a terrible start, but they are one of the NFL’s worst teams right now and it showed. The Texans cruised to a 34-10 win to improve to 7-4 and stay atop the AFC South.
Houston Texans defensive end Derek Barnett’s (95) scoop-and-score touchdown effectively sealed the game for Houston on Monday night in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
It was the sixth straight home game in which the Cowboys trailed by at least 20 points, which is an NFL record, according to ESPN.
The Cowboys are 3-7, even worse without injured quarterback Dak Prescott and it’s not going to get much better. They can just hope to limit the embarrassing moments the rest of the way.
Cowboys have a hideous start
On the first play of the game, Nico Collins ran nearly untouched for a 77-yard Houston touchdown. It was called back due to an ineligible man downfield. No problem, because a few plays later Joe Mixon ran almost untouched for a 45-yard touchdown, the longest the Cowboys have allowed on the ground this season.
Then, the Cowboys tried a fake punt that went nowhere, as Texans receiver John Metchie III sniffed it out and nailed Dallas’ Juanyeh Thomas as soon as he caught a pass from punter Bryan Anger, well short of the first-down marker. Dallas was having the worst start imaginable, and that didn’t even include metal pieces falling from the roof of AT&T Stadium when the Cowboys tried to open it hours before kickoff. (The Texans’ social media team didn’t miss a chance to poke fun.)
It looked like the Cowboys, coming in with a 3-6 record and little hope of a turnaround, might get blown out on their home turf against Texas’ other NFL team. Give Dallas credit. They battled back after falling behind by 14 points.
A bad coverage by Texans cornerback Jeff Okudah allowed Cowboys receiver KaVontae Turpin to catch a pass on the run and speed past everyone for a 64-yard score. That got Dallas back in the game. The Cowboys’ defense tightened up after that, and what looked like a potentially horrible Monday night matchup was at least close at the half. The Cowboys trailed 17-10.
Neither team was particularly sharp, but at least the Cowboys kept it interesting.
Texans pull away
It’s troubling that the Texans took so long to distance themselves from an inept Cowboys team.
C.J. Stroud is sinking deeper into a sophomore slump. The Texans started hot but then had a lull for a couple of quarters. Houston didn’t score an offensive touchdown from the first quarter until 3:16 remained, when Mixon punched in his third touchdown of the night. The Cowboys appeared to made a 64-yard field goal to cut Houston’s lead to 20-13, but the Texans had a head slap penalty on the play. The Cowboys took the 15 yards and the first down, as any team trailing by 10 points would, but then went for it on fourth down later in the drive and didn’t get it. Rush missed an open receiver on the play. If he hit that pass and Dallas scored, perhaps the Texans would have gone on upset alert. Barnett’s touchdown on the fumble from Guyton removed any suspense.
Houston can attempt to fix things and get better, hopeful for better days as they cruise to a likely division title. The Cowboys don’t have anything to look forward to except the end of a miserable season. It can’t come soon enough.
LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER35 updates
Mon, November 18, 2024 at 10:37 PM CST
Give the entire social media department a raise in Houston ASAP.
Mon, November 18, 2024 at 10:34 PM CST
Final: Texans 34, Cowboys 10
The Texans now sit at 7-4 after this win, which has them in full control of the AFC South.
The Cowboys, on the other hand, are just 3-7 on the year after what is their fifth straight loss. They’ve not won a game at AT&T Stadium this season, either.
Mon, November 18, 2024 at 10:30 PM CST
Rough night for Cowboys fans everywhere
Mon, November 18, 2024 at 10:25 PM CST
Touchdown, Texans
Joe Mixon punched in a 1-yard score, and the Texans are up 34-10 now with 3:16 left. It’s their first second half touchdown in their last 23 possessions.
Mon, November 18, 2024 at 10:23 PM CST
“There’s 15 flags down on the field … throw them if you got ’em!”
We’ve got offsetting personal fouls after a brief fight broke out, and the Texans social media team isn’t holding back.
Well, that should do it. The Texans just sacked Cooper Rush on 4th and 16, and they’ll take over in great field position here late in the fourth quarter.
Mon, November 18, 2024 at 10:13 PM CST
Tim Settle with the sack
Tim Settle just made it through untouched to drill Cooper Rush in the backfield. Not great for the Cowboys offensive line…
Mon, November 18, 2024 at 10:10 PM CST
Cowboys challenge Nico Collins grab
The Texans forced a quick Cowboys punt, and C.J. Stroud started what looked like a promising drive for Houston after a 20-yard scramble right away.
But after the Cowboys won a challenge to negate a Nico Collins 20-yard grab, the Texans will have to punt again.
The Texans lead 27-10 with 9:45 left.
Mon, November 18, 2024 at 9:57 PM CST
Derek Barnett extends Texans lead with unreal play
Derek Barnett just came up with one of the defensive plays of the year to potentially put the Cowboys away. The Texans defensive end forced a fumble on a strip sack of Cooper Rush. Offensive lineman Tyler Guyton recovered it, only to lose the ball on a forced fumble by Jalen Pitre.
Barnett then recovered Guyton’s fumble and returned it for a touchdown to extend Houston’s lead to 27-10 with 12:31 early in the fourth quarter. What a play.
Mon, November 18, 2024 at 9:42 PM CST
Cowboys take points off the board, don’t get them back
Brandon Aubrey successfully kicked a 64-yard field goal, but the Cowboys took the points off the board thanks to a head-slap on the kick by Texans defensive end Derek Barnett that drew an unnecessary roughness penalty.
The Cowboys accepted the first down and eventually failed to convert on fourth-and-2 at the Houston 8-yard line. Instead of a field goal to cut Houston’s lead to 20-13, the Cowboys walk away with no points on a turnover on downs. Houston maintains a 20-10 lead late in the third quarter.
Here’s Aubrey’s kick:
Mon, November 18, 2024 at 9:25 PM CST
Texans convert big Nico Collins gain into field goal
The Texans got a big play from Nico Collins on a 33-yard catch-and-run from C.J. Stroud. But they didn’t find the end zone. Houston settles for a field goal to extend its lead to 20-10 early in the third quarter.
Mon, November 18, 2024 at 9:13 PM CST
Cowboys go 3 and out to start second half
The Cowboys failed to pick up a first down to start the second half and punted the ball to the Texans.
Mon, November 18, 2024 at 9:05 PM CST
Texans 17, Cowboys 10: Key first-half stats
Joe Mixon set the tone in the first half as a porous Cowboys defense continued to struggle. An interception of C.J. Stroud and a pass from Cooper Rush to KaVonte Turpin for a 64-yard touchdown helped the Cowboys overcome multiple miscues to keep things close.
C.J. Stroud: 13 of 20 for 159 yards, 0 touchdowns, 1 interception Cooper Rush: 15 of 27 for 172 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception
Joe Mixon: 11 carries for 71 yards, 1 catch for 37 yards, 2 touchdowns Rico Dowdle: 8 carries for 18 yards
Texans rushing: 80 yards on 5.7 yards per carry Cowboys rushing: 33 yards on 3.3 yards per carry
Total Texans yards: 232 Total Cowboys yards: 209
Turnovers: 1 by each team
Mon, November 18, 2024 at 8:58 PM CST
Texans lead 17-10 at halftime
The Texans go into a halftime lead with a 17-10 lead that feels like it should be bigger. The Cowboys failed on a fake punt, threw an interception and missed a field goal in a mistake-filled first half. But the Cowboys have kept things close thanks to gaining 176 yards through the air with quarterback Cooper Rush.
Mon, November 18, 2024 at 8:51 PM CST
Brandon misses at home for first time with Cowboys
Dallas had what looked like a sure three points to cut their deficit to four points before halftime. But Brandon Aubrey hit the right upright on a 40-yard field goal attempt for his first miss at home since joining the Cowboys last season. Aubrey’s plant foot slipped on the kick, and the Texans maintain a 17-10 lead in the final minute of the first half.
Mon, November 18, 2024 at 8:44 PM CST
Cowboys driving with a chance to tie the game
The Cowboys are over midfield with 1:47 remaining in the second quarter and a chance to tie the game before halftime, trailing, 17-10.
Mon, November 18, 2024 at 8:29 PM CST
Brandon Aubrey good again from deep
Brandon Aubrey has become the NFL’s most reliable big-leg kicker. He just connected from 53 yards to cut Houston’s lead to 17-10. He’s now 20 of 21 from 50-plus yards since joining the Cowboys as a rookie last season.
The score capped a 35-yard Cowboys drive that was cut short when a third-down Cooper Rush pass was batted down at the line of scrimmage. There’s 5:55 remaining in the first half.
Mon, November 18, 2024 at 8:15 PM CST
Houston settles for red-zone field goal
The Texans settled for a field goal after Joe Mixon’s big gain to extend their lead to 17-7 with 9:10 remaining in the second quarter.
Mon, November 18, 2024 at 8:12 PM CST
Insult to injury for Cowboys
Joe Mixon just ripped the Cowboys again, this time for a 37-yard gain deep into Dallas territory on a screen pass. A penalty for a low block on DeMarvion Overshown added 15 yards to the play to put the Texans in the red zone with a chance to extend a 14-7 lead.
Mon, November 18, 2024 at 8:03 PM CST
KaVontae Turpin torches Texans secondary for 65-yard TD
The Cowboys are on the board. On the first play of the second quarter, Cooper Rush found KaVonte Turpin running free from the right slot. Turpin corralled the pass and sprinted untouched through the Texans secondary for a 64-yard touchdown. Cowboys cut Texans’ lead to 14-7.
Mon, November 18, 2024 at 7:57 PM CST
Cowboys TE Jake Ferguson is out
More bad news for the Cowboys. Starting tight end Jake Ferguson is in concussion protocol and out for the game. Houston carries a 14-0 lead into the second quarter.
Mon, November 18, 2024 at 7:52 PM CST
Joe Mixon scores again for 14-0 Texans lead
The Dallas defense is overmatched. Joe Mixon just ran for his second touchdown of the night to cap a 10-play, 63-yard drive. The Texans extend their lead to 14-0 and have scored touchdowns on two of their three possessions against a porous Dallas defense that’s struggling to contain the run.
Mon, November 18, 2024 at 7:41 PM CST
Cowboys give the ball back
Now it’s the Texans’ turn for an interception. Cooper Rush looked for CeeDee Lamb on third-and-8. Instead he found Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., who picked the ball off to take over possession for Houston at the Dallas 37-yard line.
In two possessions, the Cowboys have now failed at a fake punt and thrown an interception. Houston leads, 7-0 with 5:49 left in the first quarter.
Mon, November 18, 2024 at 7:37 PM CST
Cowboys take ball right back
The Texans faced fourth-and-3 at the Dallas 30 after the failed fake punt and opted to go for it instead of kicking a field goal. C.J. Stroud threw an interception to Malik Hooker on a downfield pass, and the Cowboys avoided an early double-digit deficit.
Mon, November 18, 2024 at 7:33 PM CST
Cowboys’ fake punt backfires
This is a disastrous start for Dallas. The Cowboys faked a punt and completed a pass on fourth down. But Houston’s return team was ready, and John Metchie III tackled Dallas’ Juanyeh Thomas for a four-yard gain, five yards short of the sticks. A turnover on downs gives the Texans the ball in Cowboys territory while holding a 7-0 lead.
Mon, November 18, 2024 at 7:25 PM CST
Texans bounce back from mistake for big-play TD from Joe Mixon
Their first touchdown didn’t count, so six plays later, the Texans scored another.
Joe Mixon rumbled for 45 yards and a touchdown to give the Texans an early lead. This was just moments after a penalty negated Nico Collins’ would-be 77-yard touchdown on the game’s first play from scrimmage. Houston leads, 7-0, and the Dallas defense managed to give up two big-play touchdowns on one possession.
Mon, November 18, 2024 at 7:20 PM CST
Texans TD on opening play called back
The Texans opened up with a dream start, a 77-yard catch-and-run by Nico Collins on a screen pass for a touchdown in Collins’ first game back from a five-game absence. But left tackle Laremy Tunsil was too far downfield and got penalized as an ineligible receiver.
Instead of a 77-yard score, the Texans lost five yards. Brutal penalty.
Nico Collins takes a screen pass 77 yards for a touchdown on the first play, but it’s called back because the Texans are called for an ineligible man downfield. pic.twitter.com/UdSnRov6FL
We’re underway. The Texans received the opening kickoff and will start their opening possession from the Houston 23-yard line.
Mon, November 18, 2024 at 7:15 PM CST
The cringe “Monday Night Football” intro is playing, so that means we’re moments from kickoff.
Mon, November 18, 2024 at 6:52 PM CST
Here’s ESPN’s Lisa Salters on the roof issues at AT&T Stadium.
One piece of metal fell and another was loose and lodged in the catwalk above the field. Stadium workers secured the piece of metal in the catwalk to ensure that it wouldn’t fall during gameplay. The game is moving forward as scheduled with the retractable roof closed:
Mon, November 18, 2024 at 6:37 PM CST
CeeDee Lamb popped up late during the week on the injury report with back issues but is playing tonight. Here he is running a route and catching a pass in pregame warmups.
Mon, November 18, 2024 at 6:31 PM CST
Here’s a stadium worker clearing debris in the rafters of AT&T Stadium. Per reports, nobody was hurt when a metal chunk from the roof fell to the turf during pregame preparations.
Mon, November 18, 2024 at 6:20 PM CST
Metal chunk falls from roof of AT&T Stadium
This isn’t good. A chunk of metal fell from the roof of the Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium when the roof was opened during pregame stadium preparations. The game will move forward as previously scheduled, but the roof will remain closed on a clear night in North Texas with temperatures in the upper 60s.
Cowboys inactives are in, and CeeDee Lamb will play. The All-Pro wide receiver was questionable leading into the game with a back injury, but appeared to have avoided a setback in warmups and is not among Dallas’ inactives.
Nico Collins in, Will Anderson Jr., Kamari Lassiter out for Texans
The Texans’ inactives are in. Defensive end Will Anderson Jr, who was ruled out on Saturday, is among them. So is cornerback Kamari Lassiter, who remains sidelined with a concussion.
But Nico Collins is not. Houston’s No. 1 receiver returns from a five-game absence with a hamstring injury and will reportedly play with no restrictions.
