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

[Keith]

The Texans (1-10-1) reinstall Davis Mills as their quarterback after a couple weeks of Kyle Allen, and they'll travel to Arlington to face Jerrah's Crackwagon (9-3). Oddsmakers see the Wagon as massive favorites.

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TV = FOX (channel 26 local), Sunday, noon CST, 12/11/2022

Announcers = Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez

The line = Dallas by 18 (!)

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Other Sunday viewing in the Houston area:

CBS (late) =Kansas City @ Denver, Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

FOX (late) = Tampa Bay @ San Francisco, Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen

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Prime time:

TNF = Las Vegas @ L.A. Rams (Amazon Prime)

SNF = Miami @ L.A. Chargers (NBC)

MNF = New England @ Arizona (ESPN)

[Keith]

Texans won toss. Deferred, so they kick to start the game.

LB Christian Harris gets good pressure on Dak Prescott on the second play of the game, takes him down as he gets off an incomplete pass deep. After a couple completions, the Cowboys' first run of the game to Tony Pollard carries them across midfield. Injury timeout as Harris is attended to, walked off on his own into the medical tent. Had a shoulder problem earlier this season.

On a 3rd-and-3 from the Texans' 37, Elliott takes a handoff and cuts back to the right to carry the ball 25 yards for a new set of downs to the 12. Two plays later Pollard takes a baby reverse into the endzone. Christian Kirksey is turnaed around and caught unaware. Jalen Pitre whiffed on a goalline tackle attempt.

Extra point by Brett Maher is good. Cowboys offsense is really good.

Texans 0, Cowboys 7
11:20 left in the 1st quarter

[Keith]

Texans offense goes three-and-out on their initial drive. Couple runs by Dameon Pierce net a yard, and a third down completion is short by like 8 yards. Texans punt and...

Cowboys FUMBLE! Bobbled by KeVontae Turbin on fair catch, recovered by Blake Cashman. Texans take over at the Cowboys 24. Cashman just signed a one-year extension two weeks ago.

TE Jeff Driskel is at QB. On 3rd and 2, Pierce takes a shotgun handoff for 8 yards and a first down. Pierce gets the offense to the 1-yard line when they then try to quick snap a QB sneak on third. Cowboys stuff it, but they jump offsides. Pierce gets into the endzone on the replayed third down. Good block by Heck to create the hole, but Pierce gives the ball to Laremy Tunsil for the TD spike.

Extra point by Care Bear is good.

Texans 7, Cowboys 7.
5:33 remaining in the 1st

[Keith]

Cowboys respond with a three-and-out. Texans will start ensuing drive on their 31 following 12 yard punt return by Desmond King.

Davis Mills returns at QB. One second down, he completes deep to Chris Moore, but the Cowboys challenge the one-handed catch as the ball squirts a bit when he goes to the ground. Upheld! 36-yards goes to the Cowboys' 27.

A couple handoffs to Pierce, and Driskel is in for the 3rd-and-5. He hands to Ogunbowale for the zone read and the RB is buried behind the LOS by Osa Odighizuwa. Kenyon Green's block is miserable, and he hobbles off the field. Osa broke Green's ankle figuratively, who knows maybe literally, too.

Ka'imi Fairbairn's 43-yard field goal attempt is good.

Texans 10, Cowboys 7
0:18 remaining in 1st

[Keith]

1st quarter ends with a completion to Pollard that loses two yards. Next play is a batted pass attempt. Prescott is flushed from the pocket by Jerry Hughes on third and completes a 51-yard pass to Noah Brown with Stephen Nelson defending, called for holding, declined of course. Nice adjustment by Brown.

From the Texans 25, Pollard get around the right side for an 18-yard run to the 5. Completion to Pollard gets the touchdown. Piss poor tackling in the secondary again, this time by King.

Maher's extra point is good.

10-14, Cowboys
12:28 remaining in the half.

[Keith]

Mills at QB. 2nd down completion to Akins sets up 3rd-and-3 fro 31. Completes to Moore at the sticks for the first. Driskel back in, hands to newcomer Amari Rodgers for a 3-yd end around. Pep really feelling it, huh? On 2nd, Driskel keeps the zone read this time and gets going the other way for 6 yards. Keeps it himself for a QB sweep to get a new set of downs on the Dallas 49.

Seven yard first down run by Pierce, and all of a sudden the Cowboys D looks a little gassed. Next two runs get nothing though, but Lovie keeps the offense on the field for the fourth down. Driskel gives the snap to Pierce is tackled just inches short. Chains confirm it, Cowboys take over on downs at their own 40.

10-14 Cowboys
6:13 remaining

[Keith]

Cowboys three-and-out. Punt to King is returned to the Texans' 21.

Mills back at QB. Either the time missed with the Allen starts or the rotation today with Driskel is working. He is 5-5 for 55 yards so far with a 112.5 QB rating.

Spoke too soon. Mills' 2nd & 3rd down attempts are incomplete. Texans punt to the Cowboys' 36.

10-14, Cowboys
3:42 remaining in the half

[Keith]

INTERCEPTION!

Tremon Smith nabs a deflected pass intended for Brown off the receiver (and maybe Stewart in coverage) and returns it to the Cowboys' 27.

Drive starts with a foul start on Green, who is back in the game (yay?).

Driskel from the shotgun fakes a handoff to Pierce and rolls right, throwing into the endzone to Rodgers for a touchdown, 28 yards. Welcome to the team, Amari!

Extra point is good.

Texans 17-14
2:23 remaining

[Keith]

Prescott comes out throwing following the 2-min warning. Completions of 8, 7, and finally 16 yards get the Wagon to the Texans' 37 before a pair of incompletions set up a 3rd and 10. Prescott converts the first down with a completion to his TE Dalton Schultz, who then drops a potential TD catch on the next play.

Cowboys OL Terence Steele is injured on the play as Hughes pushed him into Prescott as he threw the pass.

The 3rd-and-10 attempt is deflected by Pitre, who has been hitting everything hard this drive, now another PBU.

Maher's 33-yrd field goal attempt is good. Game is tied at 17, 40 second left in the half.

Touchback on the kickoff. Mills passes to Moore for 18 then a timeout. From their 43, Mills checks down to Ogunbowale for 3, then completes to Rodgers to cross midfield, calls timeout. Cowboys jump offsides then commit DPI on the free play, moving the Texans to the 41, 0:17 on the clock.

Mills completes a 9-yd slant route to Phillip Dorsett to the 32. Texans let the clock run down to 0:02 before calling their final timeout. Fairbairn connects on a 50-yard field goal, and well well well... the Texans go into halftime with the lead.

Texans 20, Cowboys 17
Halftime

[Keith]

Driskel opens the second half at QB. During the FOX halftime show, Jimmy Johnson said Mills was out at times because he was hurt, but methinks Jimmy is getting a bit too much sun these days. Mills is in for a 3rd down conversion to Rodgers.

Next play, Pierce loses the ball, forced out by Donovan Wilson, recovered by Trevon Diggs and returned 15 yards to the Houston 28. Pollard converts a 3rd and short to the 8-yd line.

Steele out for the game with a knee injury, and now New Texan Taylor Stallworth is down. Starting to pile up some injuries today.

On 3rd and goal, Elliott is stopped inside the 1. Cowboys go for it on 4th down, and Elliott is stuffed for a loss! Desmond King came crashing.

Texans 20-17
8:19 left in the 3rd quarter

[Keith]

Driskel scrambles from out his own end zone for a first and some breathing room. Pierce then goes angry mode and demolishes Malik Hooker for a 24-yard run to the Houston 40. Hoo boy.

Mills back in for the 3rd and 6, completes to Rodgers for 14 as Diggs tried unsuccessfully to jump the route for a pick. Eno Benjamin gets the ensuring carry and is dropped for a loss of 4, thanks to... you guessed it, Green's missed block. Mills and Driskel keep swapping in and out. Mills in for the 3rd and 9, his completion to Moore at the sideline is short.

54-yard field goal attempt by Fairbairn is good. Wow.

Texans 23-17
3:03 left in the 3rd

[Keith]

Dak scrambles on third down, but slides just short of the marker in spite of holding the ball out reaching for the first. He then converts for the first, calling his own number. Next he finds a wide open Michael Gallup for 25 yards across midfield.

Fourth quarter begins with a 3rd & 8 at the Texans' 35. Another game with the team going into the final quarter with a lead or tie. Prescott's pass is defelcted incomplete by Kirksey. TV crew just said this 6-point lead is the franchise's largest against the Cowboys since the 10-0 lead to start the first-ever game against them in 2002.

Doesn't last long as Maher kicks the 53-yard field goals.

Texans 23-20
14:50 left in the game

[chuck]

Originally Posted by Keith

Green's missed block.

How do you whiff on a pick like that?

[Keith]

Oh no, Pierce is down following a 1-yard carry before limping off the field, maybe an ankle problem.

In other AFC South news, the Jaguars are lighting up the Titans, 33-14 late in the 3rd quarter. Titans owner Amy Strunk in the news this week after a midseason firing of their GM. Somewhere six feet under, Bud Adams is smiling.

3rd down pass is incomplete to Moore, covered by Kelvin Joseph. Texans punt by Cam Johnston takes a favorable bounce for 60 yards, out of bounds at the Dallas 12.

Texans 23-20
13:31 remaining

[Keith]

Originally Posted by chuck

How do you whiff on a pick like that?

bUt hE's a hOmeToWn gUy frOm aTAScoCiTa aND an aGGiE!!1!

[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.