The Dallas Cowboys beat the Houston Texans 34-30 at Reliant Stadium by finishing drives. Dallas scored touchdowns on all 4 of its trips inside the red zone, while Houston had to settle for 3 field goals and never pulled away.

Houston was the more explosive offense, at nearly 8 yards a play against under 6 for Dallas. The Cowboys countered by running 73 plays to Houston's 52 and holding the ball for more than 33 minutes. Houston's 13 penalties for 90 yards helped keep the Cowboys on the field.

How It Happened

Houston struck first when C.J. Stroud hit Nico Collins for a 7-yard touchdown at 10:01 of the first quarter. Brandon Aubrey answered with a 39-yard field goal, and Ka'imi Fairbairn pushed the lead to 10-3 with a 51-yarder before the quarter ended.

The second quarter was a kicking contest. Aubrey hit from 50 yards to make it 10-6, then Fairbairn added a 39-yarder at 2:05 and a 54-yarder as time expired. Houston took a 16-6 lead into halftime, with Dallas yet to reach the end zone.

That changed quickly after the break. Javonte Williams ran in from 8 yards at 12:55 of the third quarter to cut it to 16-13. Stroud and Collins responded with a 22-yard scoring connection, but Williams punched in a 1-yard run at 6:49 to pull Dallas within 3.

Williams gave Dallas its first lead of the day with a 2-yard run at 11:17 of the fourth quarter, putting the Cowboys up 27-23. Houston answered when Woody Marks scored on a 6-yard run at 2:23 to retake the lead at 30-27.

Dallas needed one more drive and got it. Prescott found Lamb for a 12-yard touchdown with 40 seconds left, and Aubrey's extra point made the final 34-30.

Key Performers

Javonte Williams, DAL: 3 rushing TD – 8, 1 and 2 YDS
Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb, DAL: 12-yard TD pass, Q4 0:40
Nico Collins, HOU: 2 receiving TD from C.J. Stroud – 7 and 22 YDS
Ka'imi Fairbairn, HOU: 3 FG – 51, 39 and 54 YDS; 3 extra points

Williams was the difference near the goal line. All 3 of his touchdowns came from inside the 10, and they turned a 10-point halftime deficit into a lead.

Dallas passing: 32-45, 324 YDS, 0 INT
Houston passing: 21-31, 335 YDS, 0 INT
Dallas rushing: 25 ATT, 75 YDS
Houston rushing: 19 ATT, 62 YDS
Third down: DAL 5-14, HOU 3-10
Penalties: DAL 6-47, HOU 13-90

Neither team turned the ball over. Dallas finished its drives and benefited from Houston's flags, picking up 4 first downs by penalty while Houston picked up none.

What It Means

Dallas moves to 2-2, with a 1-1 mark on the road. The Cowboys showed they can win a game where the opponent gains more yards per snap, as long as they convert in the red zone and control the clock.

Houston falls to 0-4 and 0-3 at home. The Texans moved the ball through the air, averaging more than 10 yards per pass, but early field goals and a stack of penalties left room for Dallas to come back. Losing after retaking the lead with 2:23 to play makes this one sting more.