Good & Not So Good From Cowboys' Hard-Fought Week 4 Win Over Texans

The Dallas Cowboys didn't make it easy, but they were able to emerge from Houston with an important win over the Texans.

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb reacts after a fourth-quarter TD against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Dallas Cowboys had to dig deep on Sunday afternoon, but thanks to the team's resilience, Dallas was able to erase the memory of last week's heartbreaking loss in Brazil. In Week 4, the team came through with a bounce-back effort to get back into the win column.

It wasn't easy, but Dak Prescott and the Cowboys' offense showed up in a big way and were able to come through in the clutch.

Now, Dallas needs to prepare for a quick turnaround as they return to action on Thursday Night Football, but first, let's take a look back on some of the standout performances from Week 4.

From CeeDee Lamb's standout performance to Joey Porter Jr. making a statement in his Cowboys debut, there was a lot for Dallas fans to be excited about.

GOOD: Joey Porter Jr.

Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. watches warm-ups for a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Joey Porter Jr. wasted no time showing Cowboys fans why the team aggressively pursued him. In 24 snaps, Porter was targeted just one time and allowed zero catches.

While the Cowboys' secondary has been putrid throughout the past two years, Porter is giving fans a reason to believe that things can turn around.

NOT GOOD: Nick Sorensen

"Special teams is so vexing... but Turpin had his best return game of the year!"@Boys_Vox weighs in on the Cowboys' special teams performance on Sunday vs. the Texans on the postgame show with @ZachWolchuk and @BryanBroaddus pic.twitter.com/BDpK5cAuvQ

— 105.3 The FAN (@1053thefan) October 4, 2026

One of the common themes throughout the game was Cowboys fans coming together to rip special teams coordinator Nick Sorensen. While KaVontae Turpin turned up this week, Sorensen continues to be a weak spot on the coaching staff.

GOOD: Tyler Guyton

Dallas Cowboys offensive tackle Tyler Guyton prepares to enter the field prior to the game against the Carolina Panthers | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It looks like Tyler Guyton has finally begun to turn the corner in his career, and as long as he can stay healthy, he is putting together an incredible season. The stats from Sunday speak for themselves.

👀 🔬 Tyler Guyton in #Cowboys vs Texans:

vs. Danielle Hunter - 32 snaps, 2 pressures, 0 sacks, 28 1v1 reps (87.5%), 4.45s Time to Pressure

vs. Will Anderson Jr. - 8 snaps, 1 pressure, 0 sacks, 8 1v1 reps (100%), 2.8s TTP

remainder - 12 snaps, 0 pressures, 0 sacks

holy …… pic.twitter.com/3Mfd3ihJr6

— Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) October 4, 2026

It's hard to believe that Guyton was competing for his starting job during training camp.

NOT GOOD: DaRon Bland

Dallas Cowboys' DaRon Bland runs out onto the field before a game against the Baltimore Ravens | REUTERS

The Texans offense bullied Bland on Sunday afternoon. Bland was targeted four times and gave up four receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown.

Daron Bland didn’t stand a chance there. Tough https://t.co/kaN00FxzDB

— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) October 4, 2026

He has become a liability in coverage, and is going to need to up his game if the defense is going to have a breakthrough and begin to turn things around.

GOOD: CeeDee Lamb

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb makes a catch against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Lamb is leading the league in receiving yards through four weeks, and his 498 yards in those games is the most through four weeks in Cowboys history.

Lamb hauled in 17 catches for 189 yards and one touchdown. He becomes the first player in NFL history to have 10 catches and 150+ yards in three straight games. As an added bonus, Lamb had more receiving yards than the division rival Eagles had in total offense (172).

NOT GOOD: Third Down Conversions

Dallas Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer celebrates as he leaves the field following a game against the Houston Texans | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Cowboys' defense has enough issues that the offense needs to be firing on all cylinders every drive. Unfortunately, the offense sputtered on third downs throughout the game, going just 5-of-14 on third-down conversions.

Dallas will need to do a better job extending drives moving forward, but for now, they can be happy that the team was able to overcome the issue to come away with the win.

— Sign up for the Cowboys Daily Digest newsletter for more free coverage from Dallas Cowboys on SI —