John McClain, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, is in his 48th year of covering the NFL in Houston, including 45 seasons at the Houston Chronicle.

The Texans' trip to Arlington on Monday night turned out to be just what they needed – a get-well game coming off two consecutive losses.

Backed by a large-and-loud crowd of fans who made the trip from Houston, the Texans defeated the Cowboys 34-10 in their most decisive victory of the season. And it couldn't have come at a better time because they had lost three of their previous four games, including the three-point heartbreaker to the Lions eight days ago at NRG Stadium.

Head Coach DeMeco Ryans and his staff made sure there were no lingering effects from the last-second Detroit defeat. The Texans took advantage of the injury-plagued Cowboys by scoring touchdowns on both sides of the ball – the last one on a 1-yard run by Joe Mixon with 3:16 left that ended the offense's second-half touchdown drought.

"It's an awesome feeling," Ryans said. "No matter who you're playing, it's hard to win. We're just thankful for this opportunity on this stage. It's a big deal for us. We can play with anybody – it's about finishing.

"It was awesome seeing all our Texans fans show up. That was cool to see on the road – all the Texans' jerseys – and seeing how fired up our fans were (creating) some noise. Any time you can come into an away stadium and hear your fans being loud (and) disruptive, that was really cool for our guys."

Despite some hairy moments in the third quarter, the Texans finished off the Cowboys with the 24-point victory. They elevated their record to 7-4 and maintained their comfortable lead in the AFC South. Their next two games are against division rivals – Tennessee at home and Jacksonville on the road – before their bye week.

The Texans' third consecutive prime-time game had some interesting and impressive moments. For instance, Mixon rushed for 109 yards and three touchdowns, giving him 11 for the season, including 10 rushing. He also had two catches for 44 yards.

"When he's on, Joe's a force," Ryans said. "I liked the way we just kept churning it in the run game. And (I'm) proud of the guys for stepping up to the challenge.

"The run game starts with our offensive line. I challenged them to play fast, play aggressive, and I thought they did a nice job."

Although the Cowboys applied some pressure against quarterback C.J. Stroud, the much-maligned offensive line allowed him to be sacked one time for a 7-yard loss. The Texans allowed one quarterback hit and only two tackles for loss. The linemen also helped the running game generate 141 yards rushing and a 5.6-yard average per carry.

"They've been amazing," Stroud said about his pass blockers. "I've been better getting the ball out on time, and I believe that helps those guys out. Slo (offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik) is doing a good job of mixing it up."

Micah Parsons, the Cowboys' premier pass rusher, didn't touch Stroud. Parsons finished with one assisted tackle and nothing else but goose eggs on the stat sheet. He was able to pressure Stroud but didn't get to him.

"I thought (right tackle) Tytus (Howard) played amazing," Stroud said. "Him and Micah were going head-to-head pretty much the whole game. Them boys (linemen) are the heartbeat of our team. They're the reason we win.

"I thought we mixed up the protections pretty well. There's always things to clean up but definitely took a step forward. That's what we wanted."

Wide receiver Nico Collins returned after a five-game absence and started with a bang, turning a short pass from Stroud into a 77-yard touchdown on the game's first play. It was nullified by a penalty on left tackle Laremy Tunsil for being illegally downfield.

The Texans scored, anyway, when outstanding blocking by the linemen cleared a path for Mixon to score on a 45-yard touchdown run.

"Play one, he gets the ball in his hands, and he makes special things happen," Stroud said about Collins. "He continues to show up and show out."

The Texans are now 5-1 with Collins and 2-3 without him. He showed he was fully recovered from the hamstring injury and finished with four catches for 54 yards.

"He's a game-changer, and we're so thankful to have him back and see what he provides to our team," Ryans said. "I thought our guys did a good job of managing him, giving him the proper snaps he needed his first week back."

Ryans' defense smothered the Cowboys and backup quarterback Cooper Rush, who was forced into starting duty when Dak Prescott was lost for the season. The Texans had five sacks – all in the second half – and finished with six quarterback hits and six tackles for loss.

Defensive end Danielle Hunter had an outstanding performance. He sacked Rush two times and pressured him 10 times. According to Next Gen Stats, Hunter now has a league-leading 72 pressures, 15 more than second-place Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati's defensive end.

"We made a few adjustments with the D-line, and D-Hunter cut it loose in the second half," Ryans said. "The stunts and everything we were asking them to do, they executed really well."

Playing without the injured Will Anderson Jr. across from him for a second consecutive game, Hunter knocked down Rush three times and also recorded three tackles for loss.

"The defense played with elite energy, and we executed really well," Ryans said. "And all for like one big play we gave up -- I'd like that one back -- but overall, our guys played well and attacked the football."

The Cowboys scored their only touchdown on Rush's 64-yard pass to KaVontae Turpin.

The Texans had a 20-10 lead late in the third quarter when Brandon Aubrey kicked a 64-yard field goal to make it a one-score game. But when defensive end Derek Barnett was called for a head slap – a 15-yard penalty – Head Coach Mike McCarthy elected to take points off the board.

The Cowboys reached the Texans' 8. On fourth-and-2, McCarthy went for it, and Rush's pass was incomplete, one of four fourth-down failures for the Cowboys.

With the 10-point lead early in the fourth quarter, the Texans' defense scored a touchdown on a bizarre play. Barnett got to Rush for an 8-yard sack and forced a fumble. Rookie offensive tackle Tyler Guyton picked up the ball and tried to run, but safety Jalen Pitre drilled him to force another fumble that Barnett returned for a 28-yard touchdown and a 27-10 advantage.

In essence, Barnett provided the Texans with 10 points – his head slap that caused the Cowboys to take three points off the board and his fumble return for a touchdown.

"The D-line really picked up the pressure in the second half," Ryans said. "The play Barnett made changed the game for us. They flipped the momentum and got everybody juiced up on the sideline. It was just a huge play for us."

When it looked like the offense would go a fifth consecutive game without a second-half touchdown, the defense gave the Texans excellent field position.

Hunter and Denico Autry sacked Rush on third and fourth down for 8- and 6-yard losses, giving the Texans the ball at the Dallas 35. Mixon got the ball on six consecutive plays, including five rushes, and scored on the 1-yard run with 3:26 remaining, ending the second-half touchdown famine for the offense.

The Texans accumulated 391 yards. Stroud completed 23-of-34 for 257 yards. He didn't throw a touchdown pass and was intercepted once, finishing with a 77.7 rating.

Rush completed 29-of-51 for 323 yards. He had one touchdown, an interception and a 74.2 rating.

Of the Texans' back seven, cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. was particularly impressive. Not only did he provide the Texans with their only interception, he allowed one catch for 8 yards on five targets. He also broke up two passes. Stingley didn't cover CeeDee Lamb on every pass, but when he did, he smothered Dallas' elite receiver.

"He understood the challenge of their best player, and he stepped up to the challenge and made plays all night," Ryans said. "I'm very proud of Sting and how he's continued to grow and is having a great year."

As for the Cowboys, their record dropped to 3-7 with a fifth consecutive loss. They're winless at home this season. They're the first team in NFL history to trail by at least 20 points in six consecutive home games dating back to the playoff loss to the Packers.

The Cowboys are being outscored by 118 point at home, the third-largest deficit during the Super Bowl era. They're allowing 37.4 points at AT&T Stadium. The league record is 36.5 at home games set by Dallas in 1960, its inaugural season.

Something that should concern Slowik and the Texans' offensive coaches is that, despite the 24-point victory, the passing game continues to be discombobulated, too inconsistent. Stroud has yet to have a breakout game like he did several times as a rookie.

"I missed a couple throws (and) I threw an interception, but those happen," Stroud said. "I'm learning. I've got to keep swinging. I know who I am. I know I can be a special quarterback, especially with the guys I have around me making individuals fit as one."

The Texans will be favored in their next two games against the Titans and Jaguars. If they win, they'll go into their bye week with a 9-4 record – one victory short of last season.