Official Texans @ Cowboys Game Thread, 12/11/2022

[Keith]

3rd and 4 from their own 18, and Dak is incomplete. Holding on the play anyway, declined. Cowboys punt is deep and returned by King across their 40, but called for holding on Tremon Smith.

Eno Benjamin is in at RB with Pierce injured. Eno was dropped for a 4-yd loss on his only carry of this game. Dare Ogunbowale was dropped for a 3-yard loss for his lone carry. Driskel (5-30) is maybe the most effective runner still standing.

Benjamin gets the 1st down carry, gets positive yards, four of them in fact. Pierce re-enters though, and Driskel is with him. The re-converted TE fakes it to Pierce and keeps it for 5. Pierce keeps the 3rd-and-short to convert at the Dallas 36.

Mills comes back in and finds his buddy Moore for 18 across midfield. Pierces goes back out and is clearly struggling with his ankle. Driskel is back for 3rd and 5, and his pass is swatted incomplete by DL Neville Gallimore. Johnston punt is downed by Moore at the Dallas 1.

Texans 23-20
8:01 remaining

[Keith]

Prescott gets the Cowboys out of trouble with a completion to CeeDee Lamb to the 10, but Pitre puts a pretty hard hit on him.

FUMBLE! Recovered by Dallas, but a loss of 10 as Prescott loses the ball going back to pass. Okoronkwo with the deflection.

INTERCEPTION! Prescott throws from his own end zone to Tremon Smith! Pressured by Okoronkwo. What a couple of plays from him.

Texans take over at the Dallas 4. Driskel throws to Moore on 2nd down, and Moore does some wiggling to get to the 1-yd line. Burkhead is dropped behind the LOS by DeMarcus Lawrence. UGH missing Pierce big time. He is out for the rest of the game. Texans go for it on 4th down, but call a timeout. Driskel takes the snap, goes one way, spins around to the other and is stopped short. Seems like either he or Burkhead went the wrong way on the read option.

Turnover on downs,
Texans 23-20
3:20 remaining

[Keith]

Prescott throws 21 yards to Schultz to get out of trouble, then scrambles for 9. Pass to Zeke gets them across midfield to the 49 at the two minute warning and nearing field goal range for a potential game-tying kick. Sets up a 2nd & 4.

Texans win percentage is currently 58.3%, but that seems a tad optimistic.

Pass complete to Lamb for 5. 3rd & 1. Dak sneaks it for the 1st.

Prescott complete to Brown. Pitre smacks a good hit on him, but the completion puts the Cowboys at the Houston 22, deep within field goal range, with 1:14 left. Prescott then completes 18 yards over the middle to Schultz to the 4.

Timeout Texans, their second. 0:55 to play.

1st down carry by Elliott goes for 2 yards, and the Texans take their final timeout. 0:51 to play.

Texans 23-20.

[Keith]

2nd & goal from the 2. Prescott's pass to appears to be caught for a touchdown to Gallup, but Jonathan Owens lays him out and forces the ball loose. Play is reviewed, but still ruled incomplete without the second foot down.

3rd & goal. Zeke powers up the middle for the touchdown.

Extra point is good.

23-27 Cowboys
0:41 remaining

[Keith]

Kickoff goes for a touchback.

Mills at QB, throws first pass to the checkdown, bleh no gain. Flushed from the pocket on second down, finds Moore deep 31 yards in the middle of the field, to the Dallas 44, clock ticking, has to down it. 0:14 left. Sacked on 2nd down, but play is flagged for a false start, which actually helps.

Replay 2nd down 0:14, from the 49, another false start, the second in a row on Tunsil. It's loud in Arlington, but sheesh. Now from their own 46, Mills heaves the hail mary into the end zone, and the Cowboys Israel Mukuamu comes down with it.

Cowboys kneel out the final play. Texans lose again.

23-27, Final.

[Keith]

Final stats

Mills 16/21 175, 0 TD, 1 INT on that final hail mary. 80.5 QBR
Driskel 4/6 38, 1 TD, 0 INT, 123.6 QBR, also 7-36 on the ground

Pierce 22-78, 1 TD

Moore 10-124
Rodgers 4-57

Pitre 12 tkl, 2 PD
Kirksey 10 tkl, 1 PD
T. Smith 2 INT

TOP 33:14

[nunusguy]

Very surprising game at many levels to say the least, and Dak Prescott once again proved that he's anything but an elite NFL QB.