Dallas Cowboys Set Unwanted NFL Record with 34-10 Loss to Houston Texans on Monday Night Football

The Dallas Cowboys‘ Monday night started with a piece of the stadium roof falling to the turf and ended with a crushing 34-10 loss to the Houston Texans, marking an unwanted NFL record.

Dallas has now trailed by 20 or more points in each of their last six home games, setting a new NFL record for such a streak. As expected, the Cowboys lost all six games, a stretch that began with their playoff defeat to the Packers in January and continued in Monday’s blowout loss to their in-state rivals, the Texans.

Texans running back Joe Mixon sealed the historic loss by scoring his third touchdown of the night with 3:16 remaining, extending Houston’s lead to 24 points. Remarkably, Mixon’s three touchdowns matched the total number of rushing touchdowns the Cowboys have scored through 10 games this season.

Not long ago, AT&T Stadium was a fortress for Dallas, with the Cowboys winning 16 straight games at home. Now, it has become one of the NFL’s easiest venues for visiting teams to secure victories. Monday’s loss is emblematic of the Cowboys’ disappointing season. A pivotal moment came late in the third quarter when a penalty against Houston extended the Cowboys’ drive on a missed 64-yard field goal by Brandon Aubrey. Rather than trailing by 7 points, Dallas accepted the penalty but ended the drive with a turnover on downs in the red zone.

In another dismal sequence, the Cowboys fumbled twice on the same play, leading to a 28-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Texans defensive end Derek Barnett. The loss dropped Dallas to 3-7, putting them closer to playoff elimination and possibly marking the end of Mike McCarthy’s tenure as head coach. Despite some successes, McCarthy has failed to lead the Cowboys to an NFC Championship Game since 1996.