For the only the second time during the 2022 NFL season, both the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans win during the same weekend with come-from-behind victories
With both Texas teams having something to say about the NFL playoff picture in Week 16, the Dallas Cowboys shook off a disappointing loss to Jacksonville for a come-from-behind victory over the NFL-leading Philadelphia Eagles last Saturday, before the lowly Houston Texans finally won a one-score game by rallying against the sinking Tennessee Titans, 19-14, Sunday.
By knocking off Philadelphia, the Cowboys stayed alive in their hopes of capturing their second straight NFC East title and become the first team to do so since 2004.
DALLAS Cowboys 40, PHILADELPHIA Eagles 34
Despite uncorking a shocking pick-six interception in the first quarter, Dak Prescott responded by passing for 347 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Dallas Cowboys over the NFC East-leading Philadelphia Eagles, 40-34, Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Capitalizing on Philadelphia’s fourth turnover of the game, Cowboy placekicker Brett Maher nailed the 48-yard go-ahead field goal late after Dallas rookie cornerback DaRon Bland took the ball away from Philadelphia receiver Quez Watkins for the interception.
Eagle quarterback Gardner Minshew threw two scoring passes and ran for another filling in for injured Jalen Hurts, but his second interception set up Maher’s go-ahead kick. In fact, Philadelphia (13-2) suffered two of their four turnovers in the final five minutes and missed a chance to clinch the NFC’s top seed in a matchup of playoff-bound division rivals.
Dallas (11-4), the defending NFC East champ, kept alive faint hopes of catching them. One Philadelphia victory or loss by the Cowboys in the final two games would wrap up home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs for the Eagles, despite seeing their five-game winning streak snapped. The Cowboys wrap up the regular season with back-to-back road games before the playoffs, the first at skidding Tennessee on Thursday night.
Thanks in part to Prescott’s first quarter pick-six, Dallas found itself in a 10-0 early. Prescott has thrown an NFL-worst 11 interceptions since returning in Week 7 from a five-game absence with a broken thumb and owns a five-game interception streak in the same season for the first time.
Dallas wide receiver CeeDee Lamb finished with 10 catches for 120 yards and two touchdowns, while Michael Gallup hauled in the other Cowboys scoring strike.
Watch the NFL highlights here: Week 16 – Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys
HOUSTON Texans 19, TENNESSEE Titans 14
Snapping a nine-game losing streak, quarterback Davis Mills threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Brandin Cooks with 2:52 left as the Houston Texans rallied to knock off the sliding Tennessee Titans, 19-14, Saturday in a game delayed because of power issues.
With the Texans (2-12-1) losing five one-score games this season, including each of the past two weeks, Mills finished with 178 yards passing, none bigger than his touchdown toss to Cooks. Before the winning score, Ka’imi Fairbairn kicked his second field goal with 7:25 left in the game as Houston turned Titan running back Derrick Henry’s fifth fumble in five games into points. Then Mills completed four passes for 69 yards, the last to Cooks in the left corner of the end zone for a 19-14 lead.
By losing their fifth straight game, the Titans (7-8) have blown their four-game lead atop the AFC South, falling into a tie with Jacksonville.
The kickoff was delayed by an hour in a joint agreement by the Titans, the NFL and local emergency management officials after rolling power blackouts. Even with the delay, it was the coldest home game in Titans history with a temperature of 20 at kickoff and the wind chill at six.
Watch the NFL highlights here: Week 16 – Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans
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