The Texans placed cornerback Jaylin Smith on injured reserve Tuesday, the team announced.
Smith injured his hamstring while blocking on punt coverage in Sunday’s loss to the Cowboys.
A third-round pick in 2025, Smith played all four games this season and totaled two tackles. He played seven snaps on defense and 76 on special teams.
He saw action on 31 defensive snaps and 78 on special teams in four games as a rookie.
The Texans also announced they released wide receiver Treyvhon Saunders from the practice squad.
Texans Clips
The Jaguars are poaching a defensive back from a division rival.
Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Jacksonville has signed cornerback Alijah Huzzie to its 53-man roster off of Houston’s practice squad.
Huzzie, 25, signed with the Texans as an undrafted free agent last year, spending most of the season on the practice squad. He appeared in two games, recording an interception and four total tackles.
Huzzie has not yet appeared in a game this season.
The Jaguars will be in London in Week 5 and Week 6, facing the Eagles and Texans, respectively.
Joe Mixon’s return to the NFL is back on hold.
The veteran running back worked out for the Seahawks and head coach Mike Macdonald said on Monday that the team was “going through the process” of signing him to their practice squad. They have reportedly changed course before the process reached the finish line, however.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Seahawks opted not to move forward with the deal after Mixon took a physical with the team. There’s no word on what issue led to the change of plans in Seattle.
Mixon missed all of last season with a foot injury. He had five 1,000-yard seasons with the Bengals and Texans over eight years in the league.
Rookie Jadarian Price is on injured reserve, which leaves Emanuel Wilson, George Holani, and Velus Jones as the backs on their 53-man roster. There has also been word that they will sign Robert Henry off of the Commanders’ practice squad, but the deal has not been officially announced.
The Seahawks are signing running back Joe Mixon to their practice squad.
Coach Mike Macdonald confirmed the Seahawks worked out Mixon on Monday and are “going through the process” of getting him on the practice squad.
The Seahawks placed Jadarian Price on injured reserve last week, and Zach Charbonnet had his 21-day return-to-practice window opened last week after an ACL tear in the playoffs ended his 2025 season. George Holani, Emanuel Wilson and Velus Jones Jr. are the running backs on the active roster.
Mixon has not played since January 2025, missing all of last season with a foot injury. The Texans released him in March.
In 2024, Mixon rushed for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns, earning Pro Bowl honors in his first season with the Texans.
A second-round pick of the Bengals in 2017, Mixon has 7,428 rushing yards and five 1,000-yard seasons. He spent his first seven seasons with the Bengals.
Texans wide receiver Tank Dell is getting closer to a return.
Houston head coach DeMeco Ryans said today that he expects to open the 21-day practice window for Dell, which suggests that the Texans think Dell could be on the active roster within three weeks.
Dell has not played since December of 2024, when he suffered a devastating knee injury. That injury caused him to miss the rest of 2024 and all of 2025, and in training camp this year he had a setback.
The Texans picked Dell in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft, and he showed a lot of promise in his first two seasons, with 98 catches for 1,376 yards and 10 touchdowns through his first 25 career games before the injury. Whether he’ll ever be back to full speed remains to be seen, but the struggling Texans would love to see him making plays in their offense again.
Ryans said the Texans are also planning to open the practice windows for offensive tackle Braden Smith and defensive tackle Kayden McDonald.
Sunday started with five 0-3 teams in the NFL. It will end with five 0-4 teams in the NFL.
Each of the winless teams lost again on Sunday — the Dolphins, the Titans, the Texans, the Chargers, and the Buccaneers.
Only one team has ever recovered from 0-4 to make the playoffs. The Chargers did it in 1992.
The good news is that one of the 0-4 teams is destined to not fall to 0-5. The Titans host the Texans next weekend, in the Something’s Gotta Give Bowl.
It’s a deep hole, for all five winless teams. It helps to have a 17th game and seven playoff spots per conference.
For the Chargers and Texans, it’s a stunning slide. Both made the playoffs last year, and both were expected to do it again.
They still could. Getting that first win would be nice.
CeeDee Lamb grew up 24 miles from Reliant Stadium in Richmond, Texas. He had attended a game at the home of the Texans, but he had never played there until Sunday.
The Cowboys receiver went off against his hometown team, catching 17 passes for 189 yards, including the game-winning, 12-yard touchdown with 40 seconds remaining.
Lamb called it “everything” to do what he did in Houston.
“My grandma came out. That was really good to see,” Lamb said, via Todd Archer of ESPN. “She didn’t really come to many of my games and really do all the hoorah and screaming. So it was good to see my family here. It’s been a long road to end up in this situation, and I’m grateful for it. And just coming back and seeing a lot of things that I’m familiar with growing up.”
Jason Witten is the only player in team history with more catches in game, having caught 18 in a game against the Giants in 2012. Lamb wasn’t even in high school then.
Lamb’s 17 catches were the most by any NFL player since Keenan Allen had 18 in Week 3 of 2023.
He had never had more than 13 receptions in a game until Sunday, and his 189 yards were the third-most of his career.
Lamb passed Hall of Famer Drew Pearson in the team record book for fourth in career receiving yards with 7,914. He can move into third, passing Tony Hill, with 75 yards.
“Right now, I can’t really fathom it, but I will say I’m grateful for the opportunity,” Lamb said. “It’s a lot of emotions going through me right now. As far as preparing for the next game, that’s how I motivate myself. What can I possibly do the next game to capitalize off this one? But a moment of gratitude. I’m definitely happy to be in this position, and I’m happy for the opportunity, and I’m looking forward to breaking more records. That’s nothing toward the guys ahead of me, but here I come.”
Dak Prescott was sacked three times and hit 12 with Texans pass rusher Will Anderson Jr. living in the Cowboys’ backfield. His soreness was a good soreness, though.
The Cowboys won 34-31 as Prescott threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to CeeDee Lamb with 40 seconds left.
It was Prescott’s 85th regular-season victory, tying Roger Staubach for second most in franchise history behind Troy Aikman’s 94.
“It was fun,” Prescott said of facing the Texans pass rush, via Joseph Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News. “That’s what football is. I’ll never shy away from it. I’ll be a little sore, but I’m glad to be a little sore.”
Prescott had his right hand wrapped while meeting with reporters postgame.
He said his hand was stepped on when pressured by Jadeveon Clowney midway through the second quarter. Prescott was called for intentional grounding on the play.
“Perfectly fine,” Prescott said, via Jane Slater of NFL Media. “Just wrapped so it doesn’t get swollen . . . or more swollen.”
The Cowboys needed a win Sunday. The Texans needed a win Sunday.
Dallas beat Houston in a battle down I-45, as Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb tore up the Texans defense in the second half. The Cowboys improved to 2-2, while the Texans fell to 0-4.
The Cowboys had 121 yards in the first half and trailed the Texans 16-6. They had only two field goals and missed two others from 60-plus yards. The Cowboys finished with 399 yards in one of the most exciting second halves of any NFL game this season.
Prescott completed 32 of 45 passes for 335 yards and a touchdown, a 12-yarder to Lamb with 40 seconds left for the game-winner. Houston had no answer for Lamb, who caught 17 passes for 189 yards.
George Pickens had two big catches for 75 yards.
Cowboys running back Javonte Williams had 19 carries for 62 yards and three touchdowns.
KaVontae Turpin had kickoff returns of 48 and 32 in the second half.
The Texans gained 397 yards but couldn’t keep up with the Cowboys in the second half. C.J. Stroud’s Hail Mary fell incomplete on the final play.
Stroud went 21-of-31 for 347 yards and two touchdowns, with Nico Collins catching seven passes for 118 yards and both touchdowns. David Montgomery ran for only 24 yards on 10 carries as the Texans’ problems in the run game continued.
The Cowboys scored six points in the first half, missing two other field goal tries. They have three touchdowns in the second half.
Running back Javonte Williams scored his third TD of the day, on a 2-yard run, giving the Cowboys their first lead of the day. They are up 27-23 with 11:17 left in the fourth quarter.
Williams also scored on 8- and 1-yard runs as the Cowboys have scored back-to-back touchdowns and outscored the Cowboys 21-7 in the second half.
Dallas now has 321 yards after gaining only 121 in the first half.
Dak Prescott is 23-of-32 for 259 yards, and CeeDee Lamb has 12 receptions for 148 yards. Williams has 18 rushes for 60 yards. George Pickens, who had one target and no catches in the first half, has one spectacular catch for 53 yards in the second half.
The Texans a touchdown and a punt on two second-half possessions.
