Joe Mixon tallies 3 touchdowns as Texans demolish struggling Cowboys

The Houston Texans won the Battle of Texas, defeating the struggling Dallas Cowboys 34-10 on Monday Night Football.

Houston entered this game on a losing streak, and with C.J. Stroud struggling to play as of late, there was a lot of buzz from the fans about what they needed to do offensively.

But with reliable receiver Nico Collins returning from a hamstring injury, Stroud seems more settled and has a lot more room to work with offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.

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Collins returned to the football field and had four receptions for 54 yards.

His first catch of the game was a screen for a touchdown. It was supposed to be the ultimate welcome home. However, there was an illegal man downfield, so it was called back.

But a few plays later, the Texans' leading running back, Joe Mixon, scored the first of his three touchdowns on the night. It was a 45-yard sprint that evaded every Cowboys defender on his way to the end zone.

A large piece of metal falls on the field at AT&T Stadium before the Cowboys vs. Texans game.

Mixon's second goal came on the Texans' third drive of the game, bouncing right into the paint to give the Texans a decisive 14-0 lead. He finished the game with 109 yards on the ground on 20 carries.

But Cooper Rush and the Cowboys offense didn't just hit the ground running like they did last week against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Rush needed something to happen in Dallas after a fake punt on the opening drive was blocked by Houston and the signal-caller threw an interception on the team's second drive.

He did just that with Kavonte Turpin's speed, catching a diagonal ball and hitting the jet for a 64-yard touchdown. That's exactly what the Cowboys, especially Rush, needed to feel confident with the ball in their hands after scoring just six points a week ago.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, 88, runs with the ball while Houston Texans safety Jalen Pitre, 5, protects him during the first half at AT&T Stadium. (Kevin Jairaj Imagine Images)

There were no plays in the end zone after Turpin, but there was a field goal exchange between Kaimi Fairbairn and Brandon Aubrey, with Brandon Aubrey making an incredible 64-yard field goal.

In the second half, with Houston leading 20-10, the Cowboys were knocking in front of the Texans for a fourth-and-2 from their own 8-yard line. Head coach Mike McCarthy chose to go for it, but an incomplete pass turned the ball over on downs for the second time in the game.

The Cowboys were successful in forcing the Texans to punt, but Rush was strip-sacked and, despite scooping up the fumble, one of the offensive linemen had the fumble taken off his hands and Derek Barnett ran into the end zone. He brought it in and made a costly mistake. It was 27-10 early in the fourth quarter.

Mixon then ran for his third touchdown of the night, which was the clincher for the Cowboys. The Cowboys have now lost five straight games and are 3-7.

Stroud was effective in this game, completing 23 of 34 passes for 257 yards, although he didn't score a touchdown. He hit eight different receivers, including Tank Dell, who matched Collins' 54 yards on four catches.

Houston Texans running back Joe Mixon, 28, runs past Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs, 7, for a touchdown during the first quarter at AT&T Stadium. (Kevin Jairaj Imagine Images)

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For the Cowboys, Rush threw 55 times, 32 of them for 354 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. CeeDee Lamb had a game-high eight catches for 93 yards, but the look on his face after another blowout loss said it all.

Finally, the Cowboys have been trailed by at least 20 points in six consecutive home games, which remains an NFL record because they can't figure things out among themselves.

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