Derek Barnett has had quite the second half for the Houston Texans against the Dallas Cowboys. During the third quarter of their Monday Night Football showdown, Barnett was flagged for a head slap while attempting to block a 64-yard field goal from Brandon Aubrey.
The Dallas kicker knocked it through the uprights, which would have made it 20-13. The Cowboys decided to take the penalty and went for seven, but wound up turning it over on downs.
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Houston was unable to capitalize on offense but Barnett ended up taking over. The veteran defensive end recorded a strip sack on Cooper Rush. The ball was originally recovered by Tyler Guyton, but he fumbled it as well, leading to a 28-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown.
DEREK BARNETT TOUCHDOWN 🤯
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) November 19, 2024
📺: ESPN/ABC pic.twitter.com/TjHVGp4Fv9
Barnett continued his strong performance on the following drive as well. He was able to draw a flag on Asim Richards for holding, which negated a fourth-down conversion from Rush to Ryan Flournoy.
Houston suddenly had a 27-10 win and seemingly put an end to their second-half struggles. Over the past several weeks, they've been unable to hold teams off, including in Week 10 when they lost to the Detroit Lions on a last-second kick despite going to the half with a 23-7 lead.
The Texans have left some plays on the field, including a 77-yard touchdown on the first snap that was negated due to a penalty. Still, they're well on their way to a 7-4 start while also ending their two-game skid.