Clarence Hill: 5 Things from the Dallas Cowboys 27-23 win vs. Houston Texans

In the end, final score is all that matters to the Dallas Cowboys.

Down 23-20, quarterback Dak Prescott engineered a 98-yard game-winning drive, capped by a 2-yard run from Ezekiel Elliott with 41 seconds left to give the Cowboys a 27-23 victory over the Houston Texans at AT&T Stadium.

It was not supposed to be this hard for a Cowboys team who were favored by 17 1/2 points against the Texans, the largest point spread this season in the NFL.

The Cowboys, who gifted the Texans three turnovers, including two Prescott interceptions, certainly didn’t cover the spread. But they got the end result that mattered with Prescott leading the team to the 18th fourth quarter win of his career.

Prescott, who completed 24 of 39 passes for 284 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in the game, was six of seven on the final drive when it mattered the most.

He had no doubt they would get it done.

“That’s neither here no there, all my mind is on totally is that 98-yard drive to win the game,” owner Jerry Jones said. “Hello, Dak Prescott. I know I’m being cute, or trying to be cute, but really that’s what I’m looking at. Completely that’s what I’m looking at.”

And the Cowboys are still streaking, winning their four straight game and sixth out of their last seven, to continue to try to keep pace with the Philadelphia Eagles (12-1) in the NFC East and conference race.

The win against the Texans, who suffered their eighth straight loss to drop to 1-11-1, moved the Cowboys to 10-3 on the season. It marks the first time since 1995-96 that the franchise has put together back-to-back 10-win seasons.

They were 12-5 in 2021 before losing in the wild card playoffs.

The Cowboys are also now tied for the second-best record in the NFL with bigger goals in mind.

“We’ve got a great culture. And obviously we had a good, solid winning year last year didn’t get what we wanted to get done,” Prescott said. “We’re trying to take it to another level this year. And as I said this, this locker room was full of a bunch of guys that are complacent. We damn sure aren’t satisfied with just 10 wins and it doesn’t mean that we we’ve done something. Everybody in that locker room knows that. We’ve got to get ready to buckle up again next week.

“I’m just proud as hell to to be a quarterback of this team.”

The Cowboys have a chance to win a fifth straight game against the Jacksonville Jaguars next Sunday, setting the stage for a Dec. 24 showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Cowboys must play much better than they did against the Texans.

5 Things from the Cowboys’ win over the Texans

Dak Prescott interceptions are becoming a problem

Dak Prescott’s return from a fractured thumb has been key to the team’s success.

The Cowboys are first in points and second in yards since Prescott took the field against the Detroit Lions on Oct. 23.

But Prescott has enjoyed a nasty streak of interceptions.

With two picks against the Texans Sunday, he now has nine in his first eight games of the season for the first time in his career.

The one in the second quarter bounced off the hands of Noah Brown and set up a Texans touchdown.

The one in the fourth quarter nearly cost the Cowboys the game.

Both were by cornerback Tremon Smith. The second one gave the Texans a first down at the 4 with 5:37 left the game.

The defense held Houston out of the end zone and Prescott led a 98-yard game winning drive.

Credit the Texans for giving Prescott some zone coverage and unscouted looks that confused his passing lanes. They also got their hands on 11 passes.

But the interceptions can’t be ignored.

“I’m damn sure not a fan of that,” Prescott said. “I think y’all guys know that. It’s frustrating. It’s very very frustrating. If you go back and all of a sudden we’re miscommunication in the past games tonight. First one try to fit in too tight of a window. The second one my arm got hit. I’ve got to find a way to to take better care of the ball. But yeah, damn, damn right. It’s frustrating. No, it’s not something that I’ve ever ever been okay with and never will be okay with. I promise I’ll clean it up.

Cowboys were their own worst enemy

The Cowboys have no one but themselves to blame for the predicament they found themselves in against the Texans.

A muffed punt by KaVontae Turpin set up the Texans first score, a 1-yard run by Dameon Pierce in the first quarter.

And it was interception by quarterback Dak Prescott that tipped off the hands of receiver Brown and into the arms of Smith, who returned it 26 yards, that set up a 28-yard touchdown pass to put Texans up 17-14 with 2:23 left in the second quarter.

The Cowboys then blew chance to lead in the third quarter when running back Ezekiel Elliott was stoned on fourth and goal from the 1.

The Cowboys then allowed the Texans to drive 63 yards on 10 plays to extend their lead 23-17.

Texans targeted CB Kelvin Joseph

Jerry Jones said last week it was time for troubled cornerback Kelvin Joseph to stand up and be a man.

Joseph has been inserted into the starting role at left cornerback following a season-ending torn Achilles to Anthony Brown.

Joseph has had only two career starts and had been a disappointment on and off the field since joining the Cowboys in the second round in 2021.

The Texans targeted Joseph for plays on Sunday. He allowed a 36-yard reception to Chris Moore, setting up a 36-yard field goal in the first quarter, giving the Texans a 10-7 lead.

He gave up receptions of 18 and 9 yards on a field-goal drive to end the half, putting the Texans up 20-17.

Joseph did have a pass deflection in the fourth quarter to kill a Texans drive.

Opponents will continue to target Joseph while staying away from Pro Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs.

Texans keep Cowboys off balance

There was old saying that he have two quarterbacks you don’t have one.

And that latter my be true for the Texans.

But their use of a two quarterback scheme with Davis Mills and Jeff Driskel going in and out of the lineup keep the Cowboys defense off balanced.

Mills was efficient as the designated passer. He didn’t make any mistakes and was largely kept clean.

Driskel gave the Cowboys fits as a runner quarterback, directing the zone read. He rushed for 36 yards and also threw a 28-yard touchdown pass.

He also helped complement running back Dameion Pearce’s 75 yards on 20 carries through three quarters before finishing with 78.

It also helped the Texans to convert 7 of 15 third downs in the game, keeping the Cowboys offense off the field.

“Those quarterbacks today looked like they were Brett Favre, both of them,” owner Jerry Jones said. “They gave us more than we wanted today.”

Tyron Smith is coming; Jason Peters came to rescue Sunday

Left tackle Tyron Smith should return to the lineup next week in some capacity against the Jacksonville Jaguars. And comes at an opportune time for the Cowboys, who lost right tackle Terence Steele to a leg injury in the first half.

Smith’s return was slated to be at left tackle with Tyler Smith moving inside to left guard.

Now there could be movement on the right side with Steele expected to miss some time if not the rest of the season.

Josh Ball went in at right tackle and struggled.

Steele’s absence might have played a role in the diminishing returns of a Cowboys running game that not early effective after gaining 52 yards in the quarter.

Running back Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard ran for a combined 104 yards in the game. The numbers were lower than expected against a Texans run defense that ranked last in the league, giving up 169.1 yards per game.

Ball was at the center of nearly game-deciding disaster late in the fourth quarter when gave up a crucial sack and than allowed a pressure that caused a Dak Prescott interception.

When it came time for the game-winning drive in the final two minutes, Ball was replaced by veteran backup Jason Peters.

“I know I can stay in front of people,” said Peters, a nine-time Pro Bowler at left tackle. “And after Dak got hit and threw that interception I was like, ‘Man, I gotta go in and try to help us win.’ That’s what I was thinking but, before I could turn around, [offensive line coach Joe Philbin] was like, ‘You’re going in.’

“He must’ve read my mind.”

Look for Peters to stay right tackle going forward.