Watch Derek Barnett take over for the Texans in fourth quarter vs. Cowboys

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.

READ MORE: Texans fans will love the Jaguars sabotaging their opportunity to hire Bill Belichick

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.

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.

More Texans news and analysis