Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (92) dances after sacking Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026.
Juan Figueroa/The Dallas Morning News
HOUSTON — Rashan Gary came roaring into the Cowboys’ locker room on Sunday afternoon.
The pass rusher wore the emotion of what this Cowboys defense had been feeling for most of the game against the Houston Texans.
At times, this defense just looked lost. Other times it looked dominant. And, finally, it did just enough.
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Sometimes that’s what you need, which is exactly what the Cowboys received from their defense in a 34-30 victory over the Texans at Reliant Stadium.
Maybe that’s why Gary was screaming as he came into the locker room.
“Man, I’m excited because first off, like Von [Miller] said, we needed this win,” Gary said. “Coming into this game, we looked at it as us being in the same boat as Houston and just being able to put together a game where the defense could finally find a way to finish, get us to win and get off the field the right way. And I feel like throughout the first three weeks we’ve been improving and getting better, but those areas of improvement, getting us off the field.”
The positives against the Texans were the two sacks, one each from Quinnen Williams and Gary. The Texans went 3-of-10 on third downs and, of course, there were two three- and-outs. Cornerback Joey Porter Jr., made his season debut after he was acquired in a trade with the Steelers.
Porter didn’t record a pass breakup or a tackle but was not targeted when covering the Texans’ best receiver Nico Collins.
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Collins caught seven passes for 118 yards with two touchdowns.
“It was a little tough, very bigger guy, but try to do our best with him today,” cornerback DaRon Bland said. “So we let him get loose a little bit.”
Stroud threw for 347 yards. The pressure was better but he still had too much time to throw.
One of the biggest improvements is how the Cowboys handled their end-of-game situations.
In last week’s loss to Baltimore in Rio de Janeiro, the defensive unit played a man coverage with a deep safety only to get beat by a long Lamar Jackson pass that set up a game-winning field goal.
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The devastating loss raised questions about whether this Cowboys team could become a playoff contender with its defense playing shabbily.
It prompted an inspirational chat from Miller, the 17-year veteran, to his team Saturday night.
Miller told the team “he’ll win it by himself.”
“Once he started saying that, man, we all believed in it,” Gary said.
On the last play of the game, defensive coordinator Christian Parker didn’t employ any linemen.
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Just linebackers, safeties and cornerbacks to face Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud’s Hail Mary attempt. The pass sailed to the back of the end zone, landing incomplete to end the game.
No man-to-man here. Just play zone and protect the end zone.
“Has it been perfect, oh it wasn’t,” coach Brian Schottenheimer said. “Some big plays in the pass [game] early on, especially [Nico Collins]. But again, you look at the situational stuff. Defensive football is about situations. Holding the field goals in the red zone, you get off the field on third down, which we did tonight three our of 10 on third down.”
The first defensive series of the day was just disgusting.
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Stroud found Collins wide open on the first play of the game for 45 yards. Stroud scrambled for 9 more yards. There was Brevin Jordin picking up 13 more yards on a reception. He was wide open, too. The Texans took a 7-0 lead and it seemed as if the Cowboys were shaken.
But the Cowboys were reminded of what Miller told them the night before the game, to just keep fighting.
They fought enough to hold on.
“Yeah, we got it. No flinch,” Miller said. “This is what we do better than anything else.”
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