CeeDee Lamb sets Cowboys record, lifts Dallas with late TD vs. Texans

The Dallas Cowboys (2-2) escaped Houston with a 34-30 comeback win over the Texans (0-4) on Sunday, fueled by a record-breaking performance from wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. Trailing by double digits at halftime, Dallas leaned heavily on its star pass catcher, who took over the game after the break and finished it off with the decisive score in the final minute.

Lamb’s career day rewrites Cowboys record book

Lamb had six receptions for 49 yards at the half before exploding in the second half. He stacked 11 more catches and 140 additional receiving yards after the break, including a 12-yard touchdown grab with 40 seconds left that completed the Cowboys’ rally. He closed the day with 17 receptions for 189 yards and that key score.

The 17 catches are now the most ever by a wide receiver in a single game for the Cowboys. Only tight end Jason Witten has caught more passes in any game for Dallas, a benchmark he set in 2012. Lamb also becomes the only player in franchise history to post at least 15 receptions and 175 receiving yards in one contest.

Tracking data from the NFL’s Next Gen Stats shows just how heavily he was featured: Lamb was targeted on 21 of his 45 routes, the highest target total for any receiver who has run 45 or fewer routes in a game since the tracking era began in 2016. Houston defenders rotated through matchups, but Lamb still recorded multiple catches against six different Texans defenders.

Quarterback Dak Prescott steered the comeback with an efficient afternoon, completing 32 of 45 passes for 335 yards and the winning touchdown to Lamb. Summing up his confidence in the final call, Prescott said after the game, “As soon as it was called, I knew it was a touchdown.”

Porter Jr. debuts as Cowboys’ defence struggles, Lamb’s season pace soars

Lamb’s heroics again masked lingering concerns on the Cowboys’ defence, which has now allowed at least 30 points in 11 games since the start of the 2025 season. Dallas is counting on new cornerback Joey Porter Jr. to help steady the unit as he works into a full workload.

Porter Jr., who opened the 2026 season in a contract standoff with the Pittsburgh Steelers, made his Cowboys debut in Houston. He logged 22 of 52 defensive snaps, a 42.3% share, and was not targeted on his 17 coverage snaps, offering a quiet but encouraging first look in Dallas’ secondary.

For the season, Lamb now has 498 receiving yards and four touchdown catches on 37 receptions through four games. That start puts him on pace for 2,116 receiving yards, 17 touchdown receptions and 157 catches, a trajectory that would break the Cowboys’ single-season records across the board. The projected yardage and reception totals would also surpass the current NFL single-season marks.

His 498 receiving yards already stand as the most in Cowboys history through the first four games of any season. In an organization once defined by workhorse running backs like Tony Dorsett, Emmitt Smith and Ezekiel Elliott, it is now the Lamb–Prescott connection driving the offence and giving Dallas a path back to the postseason for the first time since 2023, even as the defence continues to search for answers.