Javonte Williams ran for three touchdowns in the second half and CeeDee Lamb scored on his 17th reception of the game with 40 seconds remaining as the Dallas Cowboys collected a high-voltage 34-30 comeback victory over the host Houston Texans on Sunday afternoon.
Lamb posted a career-best 17 receptions and totaled 189 yards to help Dallas overcome a 10-point halftime deficit. Jason Witten (18 in 2012) is the only Dallas player to have more receptions in a game.
Dak Prescott completed 32 of 45 passes for 335 yards and Williams had 62 yards on 19 carries for the Cowboys (2-2).
C.J. Stroud was 21-of-31 passing for 347 yards and two touchdowns for the Texans (0-4), who have lost their first four games for the first time since 2020.
Houston’s Nico Collins caught seven passes for 118 yards and two scores after a two-game absence due to a hamstring injury. Woody Marks rushed for a score.
Stroud guided the Texans on a nine-play, 87-yard drive to take a 30-27 lead with 2:23 left.
The pivotal play was on third-and-14 from the Dallas 27-yard line. Stroud threw a short pass to tight end Dalton Schultz at the 25. His lateral to David Montgomery was good for 19 more yards to the Cowboys’ 6. Marks scored on the next play.
Prescott then drove Dallas 74 yards on 11 plays, eventually connecting with Prescott for the winning points.
Dallas trailed by 10 at the break but KaVontae Turpin opened the third quarter with a 48-yard kickoff return to the Texans’ 49. Four plays later, Williams scored on an 8-yard run to bring the Cowboys 16-13.
Houston answered with its own impressive kickoff return as Jaylin Noel went 53 yards to the Dallas 38. Four plays later, Stroud tossed a 22-yard touchdown pass to Collins to give the Texans a 23-13 advantage with 10:50 left in the quarter.
Later in the quarter, Williams scored from the 1 as Dallas pulled within three with 6:49 left.
On their next possession, the Cowboys drove 81 yards on 14 plays with Williams scoring on a 2-yard run to give Dallas its first lead of the contest at 27-23 with 11:17 left in the game.
Stroud threw a touchdown pass to Collins and Ka’imi Fairbairn kicked three field goals as the Texans led 16-6 at halftime.
Houston took the opening kickoff and went 85 yards on eight plays. Stroud hit Collins for 45 yards at the outset of the drive and later connected on a 7-yard scoring pass to Collins.
Dallas responded with Brandon Aubrey’s 39-yard field goal with 5:10 left before Fairbairn was good from 51 yards to give the Texans a 10-3 advantage with 1:49 remaining.
Aubrey drilled a 50-yard field goal to bring the Cowboys within 10-6 with 12:30 left in the half. Fairbairn added field goals of 39 and 54 as Houston led by 10 at the break.