The Cowboys were still within striking distance of the Texans early in the fourth quarter on Monday night when the Texans defense made a play that swung things into blowout territory.
Defensive end Derek Barnett swooped in to strip Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush of the ball on a sack and the ball bounced into the hands of left tackle Tyler Guyton. Guyton tried to run with the ball, but safety Jalen Pitre jarred it loose and Barnett scooped it up for a 28-yard score to make it 27-10 Texans.
After the game, Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said that Guyton and the team’s other linemen have to prioritize securing the ball over any thoughts of turning a negative play into a positive.
“We’re not teaching linemen to carry the ball,” McCarthy said. “That’s twice now. That’s obviously a big play in the game. We need to fall on the ball.”
The Cowboys likely would have fallen short on Monday even if Guyton fell on the ball, but the conclusion came a lot earlier thanks to the lineman’s blunder.