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Houston running back’s dominant performance leads Texans to 34-10 win; O-line plays key role.
Joe Mixon produced three touchdowns on the ground as the Houston Texans dominated the Dallas Cowboys 34-10 in "Monday Night Football." The running back amassed 109 yards and added three rushing touchdowns, tying a franchise record for the Texans.
Mixon, who was a prominent factor in the win, gave all the praise to his offensive line for creating wide running lanes that showed him off at his best. "When Joe's on, he's a force for us," Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said. "The run game starts with our offensive line. They played fast and aggressive, and it really showed tonight."
His career-long 45-yard touchdown run in the first quarter perhaps best exemplified what he showed all night long: finding space and then making the best of it after his linemen could clear a path. As ESPN researchers noted, 79 of Mixon's 109 rushing yards came before contact by defenders.
The Texans' offensive line came out strong on the night, looking far better against Dallas than at times this season. The group provided Mixon and rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud with sufficiently solid protection. Stroud went a good 67.6% completion, throwing for 257 yards and an interception. He was pressured on only 36% of dropbacks, which is lower than their season average, a great showing.
Mixon’s three-touchdown game marked his sixth consecutive contest with at least one rushing touchdown, tying a Texans record set by All-Pro Arian Foster in 2011. With this win, Mixon also became the third player in NFL history to score at least 10 rushing touchdowns in his first eight games with a new team.
After the victory, right tackle Tytus Howard emphasized the importance of building on this performance for the remainder of the season, with the team entering a crucial stretch of games.
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