Aug 22, 2008 - 11:30 PM
0 shoutsBy John Tranchina PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer
IRVING, Texas (Ticker) -- With their first-team lineup seeing extensive action for the first time in the preseason, the Dallas Cowboys' offense looked crisp in one half of action in Friday's 23-22 victory over the Houston Texans.
Tony Romo completed 15-of-19 passes for 166 yards and one touchdown with one interception to help the Cowboys (1-2), considered a serious Super Bowl contender, to their first preseason triumph in the Governor's Cup.
Marion Barber added 75 yards and one touchdown rushing on 13 carries, while Terrell Owens caught four passes for 43 yards.
But as well as Dallas moved the ball for most of the contest, they were hindered by four turnovers, including a fumble inside the 10-yard line and Romo's interception in the end zone that cost them precious points and kept the game close.
For Houston (2-1), Matt Schaub completed 15-of-27 passes for 166 yards and a touchdown in three quarters of work, while Kevin Walter hauled in six passes for 61 yards and a touchdown to lead all receivers.
The Texans almost won it late, but a failed two-point conversion provided the winning margin. Jacoby Jones returned a kickoff 66 yards to set up backup quarterback Sage Rosenfels' 8-yard TD run to make it 23-22 with 2:05 left. But Dallas escaped with the win when Jones dropped Rosenfels' pass in the end zone on the subsequent two-point conversion attempt.
Adam Jones started at cornerback in place of injured Pro Bowler Terence Newman for Dallas.
The Texas Stadium crowd was silenced early when Texans wide receiver Harry Williams suffered a severe neck injury on a Houston kickoff just 2:11 into the contest.
While attempting to tackle Isaiah Stanback, Williams collided with teammate Nick Ferguson and went down without moving. After a lengthy delay, Williams, a second-year player who spent last season on Houston's practice squad, was carted off on a stretcher.
He wasn't moving and was being given oxygen as he was wheeled off the field and taken to a local hospital for further evaluation.
From the Bleachers
-
HOUSTON: 22
DALLAS: 23
Final
Aug 22 11:15 PM -
NFL
TD HST
SAGE ROSENFELS 8 YD RUN
(TWO-POINT CONVERSION FAILED)
HOUSTON 22
DALLAS 23 2:05 LEFT, 4TH QTR
Aug 22 11:07 PM -
NFL
FG DAL
NICHOLAS FOLK 35 YD
HOUSTON 16
DALLAS 23 5:14 LEFT, 4TH QTR
Aug 22 10:47 PM -
NFL
FG HST
KRIS BROWN 29 YD
HOUSTON 16
DALLAS 20 14:20 LEFT, 4TH QTR
Aug 22 10:20 PM -
HOUSTON: 13
DALLAS: 20
End of 3rd
Aug 22 10:15 PM -
NFL
FG HST
KRIS BROWN 23 YD
HOUSTON 13
DALLAS 20 11:44 LEFT, 3RD QTR
Aug 22 9:55 PM -
HOUSTON: 10
DALLAS: 20
Halftime
Aug 22 9:50 PM -
NFL
FG DAL
NICHOLAS FOLK 42 YD
HOUSTON 10
DALLAS 20 0:02 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Aug 22 9:34 PM -
NFL
TD DAL
MARION BARBER III 1 YD RUN
(NICHOLAS FOLK KICK)
HOUSTON 10
DALLAS 17 1:56 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Aug 22 9:21 PM -
NFL
TD HST
KEVIN WALTER 11 YD PASS FROM MATT SCHAUB
(MATT TURK KICK)
HOUSTON 10
DALLAS 10 7:52 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Aug 22 9:06 PM -
HOUSTON: 3
DALLAS: 10
End of 1st
Aug 22 8:49 PM -
NFL
FG DAL
NICHOLAS FOLK 48 YD
HOUSTON 3
DALLAS 10 4:02 LEFT, 1ST QTR
Aug 22 8:40 PM -
NFL
TD DAL
PATRICK CRAYTON 6 YD PASS FROM TONY ROMO
(NICHOLAS FOLK KICK)
HOUSTON 3
DALLAS 7 8:36 LEFT, 1ST QTR
Aug 22 8:29 PM -
NFL
FG HST
CHRIS BROWN 44 YD
HOUSTON 3
DALLAS 0 12:59 LEFT, 1ST QTR
Aug 22 8:11 PM
