Toronto Star
· collected 2026-10-05 · by Kristie Rieken The Associated Press
In their Sunday game, the Houston Texans lost to the Dallas Cowboys 34-30, dropping them to a dismal 0-4 start for the season. CeeDee Lamb's career-high 17 catches and his decisive 12-yard touchdown reception with 40 seconds left sealed the win for Dallas. Despite leading in the fourth quarter, Houston’s defense faltered, allowing Prescott to orchestrate a game-winning drive after the Texans took a late lead. The article highlights the stark contrast between this year's defensive performance and last season’s success, emphasizing the team's struggle to maintain their previous form.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-05,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In Week 4 of the NFL season, the Dallas Cowboys played against the Houston Texans, both struggling teams eager to secure their first win. The game, held in Houston, ended with the Cowboys emerging victorious 34-30. CeeDee Lamb had a standout performance for Dallas, recording a career-high 17 catches for 189 yards and scoring the winning touchdown with just 40 seconds left. Despite Javonte Williams running for three touchdowns and Dak Prescott throwing for 335 yards, it was Lamb’s clutch reception that sealed the win. The Texans, led by quarterback C.J. Stroud who passed for 347 yards, remained winless at 0-4. Houston's defense faltered again in the closing moments, mirroring their struggles from the previous week when they lost despite taking a late lead.
Written for “Cowboys vs Texans Matchup” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.
HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Texans entered the season with Super Bowl hopes.
asserted
Texans → enter → hopes
Four games in, they’re still hoping to get their first win.
asserted
they → hop → win
CeeDee Lamb had a career-high 17 catches for 189 yards and his 12-yard TD reception with 40 seconds left lifted the Dallas Cowboys to a 34-30 win over Houston on Sunday that dropped the Texans to 0-4.
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that → have → 0
The Texans went 12-2 last season after losing their first three games to become the first team in NFL history to make the postseason twice after opening the season 0-3.
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Texans → go → season
Now they face an even bigger uphill climb if they hope to make the playoffs for a fourth straight season after their first 0-4 start since 2020.
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they → face → 2020
Only the 1992 Chargers have rebounded from a 0-4 start to make the postseason.
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Chargers → rebound → postseason
“It’s frustrating, but it’s the NFL,” defensive end Will Anderson said.
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Anderson → ’ → ?
“We’ve got to bow up, man.
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We → get → ?
Nobody’s coming to save us ...
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Nobody → come → us
we’ve got to go out there and play grown man football and we’ve got to take accountability and really do our jobs.”
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we → get → jobs
It was a second straight week where the Texans took a late lead only to have their defense give up a late score in a loss.
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defense → take → loss
On Sunday, Dallas (2-2) trailed by 4 after a 6-yard touchdown run by Woody Marks with about 2 1/2 minutes to play.
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Dallas → trail → minutes
The Texans were facing third-and-14 when a hook-and-ladder play with a 2-yard catch by Dalton Schultz and a 19-yard run by David Montgomery set up that score.
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play → face → score
Dak Prescott then orchestrated an 11-play, 74-yard drive that included a fourth down conversion and capped it with the throw to Lamb to give the Cowboys the victory.
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that → orchestrate → victory
“Today was not a great finish by our team,” coach DeMeco Ryans said.
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Ryans → say → team
The offense goes out and plays like they played to give us 30 points and defensively we have to find a way to close that game out.”
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we → go → game
Houston’s defense has taken a huge step back this season after leading the NFL in yards allowed (277.2) and ranking second in points given up (17.3) last season.
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defense → take → points
This season the Texans are allowing 343.75 yards and 27.25 points a game.
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Texans → allow → yards
Houston did a good job defensively in the first half and led 16-6 at halftime.
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Houston → do → halftime
But the secondary fell apart after that as Prescott threw for 248 of his 335 yards in the second half and receivers were often left wide open.
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receivers → fall → half
“We’ve got to play our technique better,” Ryans said.
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Ryans → get → technique
In the first half I thought everybody played the coverages the way they were supposed to play, limited the explosive plays and the second half we did not do our coverages the proper way.”
Ryans got annoyed at a question postgame about why the Texans haven’t been able to replicate last season’s defensive performance this season.
“
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Texans → think → performance
I understand a lot of people want to compare 2025 to 2026, but for me it’s not the same,” he said.
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he → understand → me
“We’ve got a different team.
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We → get → team
We’ve got different people.
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We → get → people
It’s different.
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It → ’ → ?
So as much as we would love 2025 to carry over into 2026 that’s never the case or how it works in the NFL.
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it → love → NFL
Just because you have prior success that doesn’t automatically mean you’re going to have future success.”
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you → have → success
Quarterback C.J. Stroud spoke to the team postgame and implored his teammates to stay positive during his difficult stretch.
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Stroud → speak → stretch
“I just wanted to get in front of them and let them know how much I believe in them and trust in them,” he said.
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he → want → them
“We’re not in a good spot and it’s not where anybody wants to be… but I have the utmost trust and hope in them.
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I → ’re → them
So I was trying to just keep everybody together.”
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I → try → everybody
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