Texans Hand Cowboys 5th Straight Loss

ARLINGTON, Texas -- — Derek Barnett forced the first fumble and returned the second for a touchdown on the definitive defensive play of the game for the Houston Texans.

Joe Mixon did his thing, and C.J. Stroud didn’t have to do much to extend the misery of the Dallas Cowboys.

Mixon ran for three touchdowns to extend his TD streak to six games since coming back from an ankle injury, Barnett returned a fumble 28 yards for a score, and the Texans beat the Cowboys 34-10 on Monday night.

The Texans (7-4) stopped just the second two-game losing streak in Stroud's two seasons while maintaining a two-game lead in the AFC South.

Cooper Rush threw a 64-yard touchdown pass to KaVontae Turpin but lost his second start since Dak Prescott's season-ending hamstring injury.

The Dallas losing streak is its longest since a seven-game skid in 2015, and the Cowboys dropped to 0-5 at home.

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Texans receiver Nico Collins returned after missing five games with a hamstring injury and took a screen pass 77 yards to the end zone the first time he touched the ball on the first play of the game, only to have it called back because of an ineligible receiver downfield.

Stroud, who has been in a mini-slump, threw for 257 yards while avoiding any mistakes after an early interception on fourth down.

This weekend, the Texans host Tennessee on Sunday, while the Cowboys play at Washington.

LOOK: The story behind every NFL team name

Stacker delved into the story behind every NFL football team name. Overall team records, also included, are reflective of NFL regular-season games. There are some football teams with well-known nicknames—the Jets, for instance, are often referred to as Gang Green—but we also divulge how some teams’ official names are sparingly used (the Jets’ neighbors, the Giants, are actually known as the New York Football Giants). Sometimes a team name can tell you a lot about local history: The Vikings of Minnesota draw upon the area’s strong ties to Scandinavia, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are dripping in local legend related to Florida’s pirate past.

Let’s kick off the countdown with the folks who earned their nickname by buying boxes of used team jerseys.

Gallery Credit: Seth Berkman