Houston's Jadeveon Clowney had just thrown Javonte Williams for a 3-yard loss on first-and-goal from the 1. Three snaps later, a Houston penalty put the Dallas Cowboys back at the 1, and Williams went straight up the middle for a touchdown anyway.
It was the second of his three touchdown runs Sunday, a career high and all after halftime, the Associated Press reported, as Dallas beat the Houston Texans 34-30 on CeeDee Lamb's catch with 40 seconds left. ESPN's box score credits Williams with 19 carries for 62 yards, plus five receptions for 21 yards.
The yardage was modest. The finishing was not. CBS Sports' team statistics show Dallas went 4-for-4 in the red zone and 3-for-3 in goal-to-go situations, and Williams scored on three of those four trips.
That had not been the pattern before the break. Brandon Aubrey kicked field goals of 39 and 50 yards, then had a 62-yard attempt blocked by Houston's Will Anderson Jr. and pushed a 65-yarder wide left at the end of the half. Houston turned both misses into field goals of its own and led 16-6.
Three drives, three scores
The first touchdown came quickly. KaVontae Turpin brought the second-half kickoff back 48 yards, setting Dallas up near midfield, Williams picked up 7 and 4 yards, and Lamb's 30-yard catch put the ball at the 8. Williams took the next handoff around the left end to make it 16-13.
NBC Sports' Rivers McCown noted that pulling linemen left Williams a single defender to beat on the outside on that run.
The second took far more effort. After Nico Collins' second touchdown made it 23-13, George Pickens' 53-yard catch moved Dallas to the Houston 11. Two runs later, a pass interference call on Houston cornerback Kamari Lassiter produced first-and-goal at the 1, and that is where Clowney made his stop.
On fourth-and-goal from the 3, a defensive holding penalty on Lassiter wiped out an incompletion and returned the ball to the 1, and Williams scored on the next snap to make it 23-20.
