The Cowboys vs Texans game on Sunday, October 4 turned into the CeeDee Lamb show. Dallas trailed 16-6 at half time in Houston, fell behind again with about two and a half minutes to go, and still won 34-30 when Dak Prescott found Lamb for a 12 yard touchdown with 40 seconds left. Lamb finished with 17 catches for 189 yards, the most receptions by a wide receiver in Cowboys history, in the stadium closest to where he grew up.
The win lifts Dallas to 2-2. Houston are 0-4, and 0-3 at home, after a loss that coach DeMeco Ryans pinned on his defense.
Cowboys vs Texans: how the comeback happened
Houston controlled the first half. Nico Collins, back after missing two games with a hamstring injury, scored early and C.J. Stroud kept finding him. The Texans led 16-6 at the break, according to ESPN’s box score.
The second half belonged to Javonte Williams on the ground and Lamb through the air. Williams scored all three of his touchdowns after the interval, a career high: an 8 yard run in the third quarter, then a 2 yard run with about 11 minutes left that put Dallas ahead 27-23.
Houston answered. Woody Marks ran in from 6 yards, and the Texans led 30-27 with roughly two and a half minutes to play. Prescott then drove Dallas 74 yards in 11 plays, survived a fourth down along the way, and threw the winner to Lamb with 40 seconds on the clock.
“As soon as it was called, I knew it was a touchdown,” Prescott said afterwards, as reported by the Associated Press.
Key numbers from Cowboys 34, Texans 30
| Stat | Cowboys | Texans |
|---|---|---|
| Score by quarter | 3, 3, 14, 14 | 10, 6, 7, 7 |
| Total yards | 399 | 397 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0 |
| Red zone | 4 of 4 | 2 of 2 |
| Third down | 5 of 14 | 3 of 10 |
| Penalties | 6 for 47 yards | 13 for 90 yards |
| Time of possession | 33:27 | 26:33 |
Passing: Prescott 32 of 45, 335 yards, 1 TD. Stroud 21 of 31, 347 yards, 2 TD, no interceptions.
Receiving: Lamb 17 catches, 189 yards, 1 TD. Collins 7 catches, 118 yards, 2 TD.
Rushing: Williams 19 carries, 62 yards, 3 TD.
The yardage was almost dead level and neither side turned it over. The difference sat in two places: Dallas scored a touchdown on every one of its four red zone trips, and Houston gave away 90 yards in penalties.
Where Lamb’s day sits in Cowboys history
Seventeen catches is the most ever by a Dallas wide receiver in one game. Only one Cowboy has caught more: tight end Jason Witten, who had 18 against the New York Giants in 2012, according to CBS Sports and the AP. ESPN noted it was also the most catches by any NFL player in a game since Keenan Allen’s 18 in 2023.
The 189 yards also moved Lamb past Hall of Famer Drew Pearson into fourth on the Cowboys’ career receiving yards list, behind Witten, Michael Irvin and Tony Hill, the club said on DallasCowboys.com. His four touchdown catches through four weeks are already more than the three he managed in all of 2025.
The setting mattered to him. Lamb grew up in Richmond, Texas, on the edge of Houston, and had never played a game in the Texans’ stadium before Sunday. “My grandma came out, and that was really good to see,” he told the Cowboys’ website.
Why 0-4 is a problem for Houston
For casual fans: a winless first month does not end a season, but it leaves almost no margin. With 13 games left, Houston would likely need something close to a 10-3 finish just to reach the usual nine or ten win range that wild card teams need. Ryans did not hide from it. “We just did not play well enough defensively,” he said, per the AP.
There was injury news too. Cornerback Jaylin Smith left in the second quarter with a hamstring injury and defensive tackle Jaden Crumedy hurt a shoulder in the third, according to ESPN and CBS Sports.
What’s next for Dallas and Houston
- Cowboys: host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football, 8:15pm ET on Thursday, October 8, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington (Prime Video).
- Texans: at the Tennessee Titans, 1pm ET on Sunday, October 11, in Nashville (CBS).
A short week is the test for Dallas now. Elsewhere in Week 4, Kansas City stayed perfect in a wild finish: read our Chiefs vs Raiders report.
