Career-best Lamb proves pivotal as Cowboys evade Texans

The Cowboys star had another massive outing in Dallas' win against their Texas rival.

Leroy Hinds October 4, 2026·3 min read

The Dallas Cowboys travelled to Houston looking to rebound from a heartbreaking 34-31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens the previous week, which has become a common theme for this team in recent years. At 1-2, Dallas had shown plenty of offensive firepower through the opening three games, but costly mistakes had prevented the Cowboys from turning that production into a winning record.

The Texans, meanwhile, entered the matchup desperate for their first win of the season after falling to 0-3. Despite the poor start, Houston had been competitive in each of its defeats

Dallas responded through Brandon Aubrey, but Ka’imi Fairbairn added a 51-yard field goal to restore Houston’s 7-point advantage.

The Texans continued to control proceedings in the second quarter. Fairbairn converted kicks from 39 and 54 yards, while Aubrey added a 50-yard field goal for Dallas. Houston entered halftime with a 16-6 lead and appeared to be in complete control.

However, everything changed after the break.

KaVontae Turpin opened the second half with a 48-yard kickoff return, giving Dallas excellent field position. Four plays later, Javonte Williams found the end zone from 8 yards out to cut the deficit to just 3 points.

Houston responded almost immediately as offense began to take the game over. Stroud connected with Collins for a 22-yard touchdown, with the receiver securing his second score of the afternoon and restoring a 10-point advantage.

But Williams was only getting started. The Dallas running back scored his second touchdown of the afternoon from a yard out, before finding the end zone again in the fourth quarter on a two-yard run. His 3 rushing touchdowns turned the game completely on its head, as Dallas finally moved ahead 27-23 with 11 minutes remaining.

Houston refused to fold, as Stroud engineered an impressive 9-play, 87-yard drive, culminating in Woody Marks’ 6-yard touchdown run. A clever lateral involving Dalton Schultz and David Montgomery helped set up the score, putting the Texans back in front 30-27 with just over 2minutes remaining.

The Cowboys needed one final drive, and Dak Prescott did not disappoint.

Dallas travelled 74 yards in just 11 plays, with Prescott repeatedly relying on his most trusted target. CeeDee Lamb, who had already produced a career-best performance, made the decisive play with 40 seconds remaining. Prescott found Lamb for a 12-yard touchdown, completing the comeback and sending the Cowboys into a 34-30 lead.

Houston still had time for one final response, but the Cowboys defence prevented Stroud from producing another miracle. 2 incomplete passes ended the Texans’ hopes, allowing Dallas to secure a dramatic victory.

Lamb finished with an extraordinary 17 receptions for 189 yards and the game-winning touchdown, while Prescott completed 32 of 45 passes for 335 yards and a score.

Stroud was equally impressive statistically, throwing for 347 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Collins returned from injury in spectacular fashion with seven receptions for 118 yards and two touchdowns. But the Texans once again found themselves on the wrong side of a close game.

The defeat dropped Houston to 0-4, their worst start since 2020, while Dallas improved to 2-2. For the Cowboys, the comeback could prove to be a season-defining result after suffering two agonising defeats already this year. For Houston, the margin between victory and defeat continues to be painfully small.

Dallas showed tremendous resilience to erase a 10-point halftime deficit, something that was not seen whatsoever in Rio, and with Lamb producing one of the best receiving performances in franchise history, the Cowboys have suddenly given themselves renewed momentum heading into Week 5.