Winners, losers as Texans rout Cowboys 34-10 on Monday Night Football

Houston routed Dallas in a Texas showdown to end Week 11.

The Texans went into AT&T Stadium on Monday Night Football and demolished the Cowboys 34-10 after Dallas failed to score any points in the second half.

C.J. Stroud and Houston got off to a fast start but gradually slowed as Cooper Rush and Dallas fought back to make it 17-10 at halftime, keeping faith. But, after Houston took a 20-10 lead, Derek Barnett returned a stripped Rush fumble for a touchdown, essentially sealing the result.

The result moved Houston to 7-4 as it stayed atop the AFC South, while the Cowboys fell further in the NFC East to 3-7. The 2-8 New York Giants have prevented Dallas from dropping into last.

Let's analyze the game further with winners and losers:

WINNER: Joe Mixon, Texans

While Stroud had an iffy performance through the air, Mixon was dominant in both phases. The 28-year-old rushed for 109 yards on 20 carries for three touchdowns, including two catches for 44 yards. Whenever Houston needed a play, the star running back delivered.

LOSER: Dallas' rushing attack

The running game was the opposite story for Dallas, as Rico Dowdle led the department with just 28 yards on 10 carries. Star wideout CeeDee Lamb had the second-most rushing yards with 13 on one attempt, while Ezekiel Elliott got one carry for eight yards.

Rush had his struggles through the air, but the lack of a balanced rushing attack was just as costly against a robust Houston defensive front.

WINNER: Derek Barnett, Texans

Barnett had a costly moment when a personal foul on a Dallas field-goal attempt gave it a first down after free 15 yards. However, the unit stayed strong and Barnett delivered the aforementioned game-changing play that would go on to seal the win.

Barnett forced Rush into a fumble by hitting his elbow before his arm extended, then picked up the second fumble that Jalen Pitre caused and returned it to the house. Barnett's sack was one of five for Houston on the night, with Danielle Hunter recording a team high two.

LOSER: Trey Lance, Cowboys

The Cowboys are still sticking with Rush even though the 30-year-old hasn't shown enough to be a level-raising QB2 for a hopeful contender. Rush threw for 354 yards on 32 of 55 completions for one touchdown and one pick.

With the game out of reach, 24-year-old Lance stayed on the sidelines watching. With the Cowboys' season essentially done, developing youth to find gems for next season and beyond should be a priority. However, owner Jerry Jones hasn't been proactive enough with his team building that continues to hold back the team.

Even if Lance doesn't develop into a starting-caliber signal caller, he would provide more fresh air under center than a 30-year-old Rush who isn't a player for the future.

LOSER: C.J. Stroud, Texans

Stroud appears to be in a sophomore slump. After a promising rookie campaign in which Houston made an intriguing playoff run, Stroud hasn't always been up to those same levels in his second season. Those issues continued on Monday, as he completed just 23 of 34 passes for 257 yards, no touchdowns and one pick.

He missed some throws he should've made, including on third-down opportunities. The Texans can still make another run this year thanks to their defense, but they'll need Stroud to be much better even if he's missing some weapons.