ARLINGTON, Texas — The Week 11 edition of “Monday Night Football” appeared to be another week of the Dallas Cowboys (3-6) getting steamrolled at home, as they fell behind, 14-0, early to the AFC South-leading Houston Texans (6-4).
However, Dallas hung around, and trail by just seven points at the half, 17-10. It scored its first touchdown at home since Week 3 against the Baltimore Ravens when return man and wide receiver KaVontae Turpin took a third down slant from fill-in quarterback Cooper Rush 64 yards for the score at the start of the second quarter. That score marked the longest receiving touchdown of Turpin’s career and Dallas’ first touchdown at home since a 16-yard receiving touchdown by Turpin against the Ravens. The scoring strike was also Rush’s first touchdown at AT&T Stadium since he threw two passing touchdowns in Week 4 of the 2022 season against Washington. He finished the half with 172 passing yards, one touchdown and an interception thrown to Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. on 15 of 27 passing.
All-Pro kicker Brandon Aubrey made NFL history in the first half as the only player to make at least 10 field goals of 50-plus yards in consecutive seasons after a 53-yard make. However, he also surprisingly missed a 40-yard field goal off the right upright just 59 seconds before halftime.
Houston started off the action with a bang: a C.J. Stroud 77-yard touchdown to No. 1 wide receiver Nico Collins on a play-action checkdown on the opening play. However, an ineligible man downfield penalty erased the scoring strike. Stroud struggled, finishing the half with 159 passing yards and an interception thrown to Cowboys safety Malik Hooker on 13 of 20 passing.
The Texans clearly took note of the Cowboys entering Monday allowing the second-most rushing yards per game (152.1) in the entire NFL this season: running back Joe Mixon erupted for a 45-yard rushing touchdown untouched to cap the opening drive. He found the end zone once more from one yard out and finished the half with 71 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns on 11 carries for 6.5 yards per rush. Mixon’s nine rushing touchdowns in his first eight games as a Texan are tied for the third-most in a player’s first eight games with a team since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger.
Will the Texans pull away for just their third win in nine tries against the Cowboys, or will Dallas come back and snap its four-game losing streak? Stay tuned to our live blog to find out!
Where to watch Cowboys vs. Texans
Date: Monday, Nov. 18 | Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Location: AT&T Stadium (Arlington, Texas)
Channel: ESPN | Stream: fubo (try for free)
Follow: CBS Sports App
Betting odds: Texans -7; O/U 41.5 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
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