A Fourth-Quarter Surge Seals Victory for Dallas
The Dallas Cowboys completed a dramatic comeback on Sunday, October 4, 2026, defeating the winless Houston Texans 34-30 at Reliant Stadium. The victory shifts Dallas’s record to 2-2, while Houston remains winless at 0-4 in their home opener.
The game remained tightly contested through three quarters, with Houston holding a narrow lead entering the final period. The turning point arrived in the fourth quarter when Cowboys running back Javonte Williams broke open the contest. Williams scored on a 2-yard run to give Dallas a 27-23 advantage.
Although the Texans responded quickly with a Woody Marks touchdown to tie the game at 27-27, Dallas struck again immediately. Dak Prescott connected with CeeDee Lamb for a 12-yard touchdown pass, capping the rally and securing the win.
Quarter-by-Quarter Breakdown
Houston started strong, taking an early 7-0 lead on a 7-yard touchdown pass from C.J. Stroud to Nico Collins. The Cowboys answered with a 39-yard field goal by Brandon Aubrey before Ka’imi Fairbairn kicked two more field goals to extend Houston’s lead to 10-3 at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter was dominated by special teams and short-yardage runs. Aubrey added another field goal from 50 yards out, but Fairbairn responded with consecutive kicks of 39 and 54 yards. Houston led 16-6 at halftime despite the Cowboys' late first-half surge.
The third quarter saw both offenses find the end zone. Javonte Williams broke through for an 8-yard run, followed by another Stroud-to-Collins connection, this time for 22 yards, pushing Houston’s lead to 23-13. Dallas responded with a 1-yard Williams touchdown to cut the deficit to 23-20.
