How the Dallas Cowboys beat the Houston Texans 27-23

Star-Telegram sports editor Dave Ammenheuser’s running blog of Sunday’s Houston Texans-Dallas Cowboys game at AT&T Stadium. Notes, commentary, analysis video and more as the league’s hottest team and the league’s worst teams meet.

Escape. There’s no other way to describe what happened. The Cowboys used an 11-play 98-yard drive that ended with an Ezekiel Elliott 2-yard run with 41 seconds left to pull out a come-from-behind 27-23 win over the visiting Houston Texans at AT&T Stadium on Sunday.

The Cowboys, 17-point favorites, struggled throughout much of the game before the game-winning drive.

All notes will be in reverse chronological order of the game.

Final stats

PASSING

HOU: Davis Mills 16-21 for 175 yards, 1 INT; Jeff Driskel 4- for 38 yards, 1 TD

DAL: Dak Prescott 24 of 39 for 284 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT

RUSHING

HOU: Pierce 22-78 1 TD, Driskell 7-36, Rodgers 1-3, Mills 1-2, Benjamin 3-1, Burkhead 2-(-3), Ogunbowale 1-(-3).

DAL: Elliott 15-62 1 TD, Pollard 10-42 1 TD, Prescott 6-23

RECEIVING

HOU: MOore 10-124, Rodgers 4-57 1 TD, Dorsett 2-18, Burkhead 1-5, Akins 1-5, Ogunbowale 2-4.

DAL: Schultz 6-87, Brown 4-85, Gallup 2-40, Lamb 5-33, Pollard 4-20 1 TD, Elliott 3-19.

Fourth quarter notes

HST 13th poss. starts at HST 25. Texans drive to DAL 49. However, the Cowboys seal the game when Davis Mills pass is intercepted by Israel Mukuamu with 3 seconds left. Cowboys escape 27-23.

DAL 11th poss. starts at DAL 2. Prescott connects with Schultz for 21 yards on first down. Three plays later, the Cowboys are at the HST 49 at two-minute warning. Cowboys proceed to march down the field: PRescott to Lamb for 3, Prescott run for 6, pass to Noah Brown for 18, pass to Schultz for 18.

First-and-goal at HST 4. Elliott runs for 2. Second-and-goal at 2 with 51 seconds left. Pass to Gallup is incomplete.

Third-and-goal at HST 2. Ezekiel Elliott rushes 2 yards for touchdown. Brett Maher’s extra point gives Cowboys a 27-23 lead with 41 seconds left. What an 11-play, 98-yard drive!

HST 12th poss. starts at DAL 4. Texans decide to go for it on fourth-and-goal at DAL 3. Run goes nowhere and Texans turn ball over on downs.

DAL 10th poss. starts at DAL 1. Disaster strikes Dak Prescott throws his second interception of the game. T. Smith picks ff at DAL 11 and returns to DAL 4.

HST 11th poss. starts at HST 25: Texans move ball 35 yards, before punting from the DAL 40. Punt is downed at DAL 1. Cowboys will need to go 99 yards to get the lead. 8:08 left.

DAL 9th poss. starts at DAL 12: Cowboys go three-and-out. Punt ball back to the Texans. HST ball at HST 25 with 12:03 left.

HST 10th poss. starts at HST 25: Drive gains just three yards. Three-and-out. Punt to DAL 12 with 13:31 left.

DAL 8th poss. continues at HST 35: On fourth down, the Cowboys’ Brett Maher boots at 53-yard field goal to pull Cowboys within 23-20 with 14:50 left in the game.

Third quarter notes

DAL 8th poss. starts at DAL 25: Cowboys move ball into Houston territory with a third-and-7 at the HST 35 as time expires in the quarter.

HST 9th poss. starts at HST 2: Texans put together an impressive 10-play 63-yard drive that ends with a Fairbairn 54-yard field goal to extend the Texans lead to 23-17 with 3:03 left in the third quarter.

DAL 7th poss. starts at HST 28: Cowboys drive to the HST 1. On fourth-and-1, Ezekiel Elliott is stopped for a one-yard loss. Ball turns over to Texans with 8:19 left in the quarter.

HST 8th poss. starts at HST 25: Texans pick up first down, but Dameon Pierce fumbles ball away to Cowboys. Trevon Diggs picks tit up and returns to HST 28.

Key Halftime stats

Cowboys hold a 230-143 edge in total yards.

Texans have a 17:34-12:26 edge in time of possession

Dak Prescott has completed 13 of 23 passes for 158 yards, a TD and a INT

Texans have used two qbs: David Mills is 9 of 11 for 93 yards, Jeff Driskell 2 of 2 for 33 yards and a TD

Tony Pollard has 37 yards rushing and a TD and also 14 yards receiving and a TD

Dameon Pierce has game-high 40 yards rushing

Chris Moore had five catches for 64 yards for the Texans

Second quarter notes

HST 7th pos. starts at HST 25: With just 40 seconds left, Texans choose not to sit on it. Move ball to the DAL 32 where Ka’imi Fairbairn boots a 50-yard field goal as time expires in the half. Texans lead 20-17.

DAL 6th pos. starts at DAL 25: Brent Maher’s 33-yard field goal with 40 seconds left in the half ties the game 17-17.

HST 6th poss. starts at DAL 27: The Texans move back on top, taking advantage of the turnover. Jeff Driskel connects with Amari Rodgers for a 28-yard touchdown and with the extra point the Texans lead 17-14 with 2:23 left in the half. (Reminder, the Cowboys were a 17-point favorite!)

DAL 5th poss. sarts at DAL 36: On second down, Dak Prescott is intercepted by Tremon Smith and returned to the DAL 27 with 3:12 left in half.

HST 5th poss. starts at HST 21: Three-and-out and punt.

DAL 4th poss. starts at DAL 40: Three plays later, Cowboys punt to HST. 4:36 left in the half. So far, it’s been a less-than-impressive Dallas outing.

HST 4th poss. starts at HST 25: Texans move to the DAL 42 before punting.

DAL 3rd poss. continues: The Cowboys quickly march down the field. Scoring again on another Tony Pollard touchdown. This one a 10-yard pass from Dak Prescott, capping a 7-play, 75-yard drive. Maher’s extra point pushes the Cowboys ahead 14-10 with 12:28 left in the half.

First quarter notes

DAL 3rd poss. starts at DAL 25. One play (a Pollard 2-yard loss) and the quarter ends.

HST 3rd poss. starts at HST 28: The Texans take the lead on a 43-yard Fairbairn field goal, capping a 6-play, 43-yard drive. The Texans lead 10-7 with 18 seconds left in the quarter.

DAL 2nd poss. starts at DAL 25: Cowboys gain just 6 yards. Three-and-out and punt to HST.

HST 2nd poss. starts at DAL 24: Texans take advantage of the muffed punt and get on the scoreboard. Six plays, 24 yards. The final yard on a Dameon Pierce 1-yard run. Fairbarin’s extra point ties the game 7-7 with 5:33 left in the quarter.

HST 1st poss. starts at HOU 25: Three-and-out and Texans punt. But Kavontae Turpin muffs punt, recovered by Texans’ Cashman at DAL 24.

DAL 1st poss. starts at DAL 24: Cowboys imediately march down the field and take the lead. Tony Pollard runs 11 yards for the touchdown, capping a 9-play, 76-yard drive. Brent Maher’s extra point gives Cowboys a 7-0 lead with 11:20 left in the quarter.

Houston won toss. Dallas will receive.

Texans Inactives

WR Brandin Cooks

WR Nico Collins

G Justin McCray

FB Troy Hairston

CB Derek Stingley

QB Kyle Allen

Cowboys Inactives

LB Jabril Cox

QB Will Grier

WR Jalen Tolbert

S Markquese Bell

DE Chauncey Golston

Pregame reads

Clarence Hill: Why Cowboys have the edge against the Texans

Clarence Hill: What to watch in today’s game

Jerry Jones still hasn’t given up on Odell Beckham Jr.

Micah Parsons’s take on Britney Griner gets him in hot water

How to watch the game

When: Dec. 11, noon

Where: AT&T Stadium

TV: FOX

Radio: KRLD/105.3 FM “The Fan”

Line: Cowboys -17 (biggest line this season in the NFL)

Last meeting: The Texans beat the Cowboys 19-16 in overtime in Houston on Oct. 7, 2018.

This story was originally published December 11, 2022 at 10:40 AM.