ARLINGTON, Texas — As the Dallas Cowboys faced yet another disappointing outcome at home, challenges loomed, quite literally, from above. A section of the roof at AT&T Stadium experienced some structural issues just hours before Monday night’s game against the Houston Texans, resulting in debris falling onto the field. Fortunately, no injuries were reported as the roof was promptly closed before game time.
The Cowboys’ struggles this season hit a new low with a 34-10 defeat against their Texas rivals. This marks the first time since 1989 that the team remains winless at home after five games, which coincidentally was Jerry Jones’ inaugural season as owner when they finished with just one win out of 15 games played. The team is now on a six-game losing streak at their home stadium, including a painful playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers earlier this year.
Franchise quarterback Dak Prescott, who was recovering from season-ending surgery to address a torn hamstring, watched from the sidelines on crutches. During the Cowboys’ first drive, they fell behind quickly, and their efforts were further thwarted when punter Bryan Anger attempted a pass on a fake, falling short of converting a first down. Meanwhile, CeeDee Lamb put in a commendable performance with eight receptions for 93 yards, but his drive was marred by drop and a penalty for offensive interference on consecutive plays.
In an earlier moment, Brandon Aubrey, who had not missed a field goal at home in 35 attempts over two seasons, stumbled with a miss just before halftime. Despite making a lengthy 64-yard kick afterward, the Cowboys were unable to capitalize as a personal foul nullified the score, leading to an incomplete pass by Cooper Rush on a crucial fourth down.
As the game progressed, the Texans increased their lead with Joe Mixon scoring his third rushing touchdown, bringing the score to 34-10 with just over three minutes remaining. Adding to the Cowboys’ frustrations, four defenders were flagged for unnecessary roughness on the same play, making it the sixth consecutive home game where they found themselves down by over 21 points.
This season has seen only a handful of teams historically share such a rough fate, with the 2020 Jaguars, 2008 Lions, and 1981 Colts all trailing by three touchdowns in five or more of their games. Now sitting with a record of 3-7, the Cowboys trail the leading Philadelphia Eagles by five games in the NFC East, as they gear up to face the Washington Commanders next, who currently hold a 7-4 record.
Dallas has led for merely 2 minutes and 15 seconds throughout their series of six home losses. That brief lead occurred during a devastating 47-9 defeat against Detroit, marking the most significant loss at home under Jones’s ownership, which coincided with his 82nd birthday.