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Cowboys edge Texans in OT

Oct 5, 2014 - 11:58 PM Arlington, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Dan Bailey began a new field goal streak with a bang.

Bailey kicked a game-winning 49-yard field goal in overtime to lift the Dallas Cowboys to a 20-17 victory over the Houston Texans.

The Texans scored the last 10 points of regulation, but were forced to punt on the opening possession of the extra session.

DeMarco Murray picked up 11 yards on a 3rd-and-1, and on an ensuing 3rd-and-8, Tony Romo lofted a rainbow along the left sideline for Dez Bryant. Texans cornerback had tight coverage on Bryant, who ran a stop-and-go route, but Bryant was able to reach over top of his helmet to make a spectacular grab.

"It was the play of the game," Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett said. "I don't know if there's a better guy in the league that can make those kind of contested catches than Dez Bryant."

Bailey, who missed a 53-yard field goal on the final play of regulation to snap his streak of 30 consecutive field goals, was able to split the uprights this time from the left hash with 7:45 on the clock.

Murray eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark for the fifth straight time to start the season, finishing with 136 yards on 31 carries. He leads the NFL with 670 yards on the ground. Dallas (4-1) moved to 15-1 when Murray runs the ball at least 20 times.

Romo completed 28-of-41 passes for 324 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, Bryant caught nine passes for 85 yards and a score and Murray added six receptions for 56 yards for Dallas, which has won four straight games since a season-opening loss to San Francisco.

Arian Foster carried the ball 23 times for 157 yards and two scores for the Texans (3-2), who have dropped two of three since beginning the year 2-0.

"Our defense did a good job of holding us in there," Texans head coach Bill O'Brien said. "We just didn't do enough offensively."

Ryan Fitzpatrick was 16-of-25 for 154 yards with an interception, DeAndre Hopkins caught six passes for 63 yards and Andre Johnson hauled in five balls for 58 yards in defeat.

Trailing 17-7, the Texans elected to go for a 4th-and-2 at the Dallas 31 with 4:36 remaining in the fourth instead of attempting a long field goal. Foster moved the chains with a 14-yard reception in the right flat.

Randy Bullock later capped the 7:17, 76-yard march with a 29-yard field goal to get Houston within 17-10 with 2:27 to go in regulation.

With all three timeouts at their disposal, the Texans elected to kick the ball away. Murray picked up just a yard on first down, and following a Dallas delay of game penalty, Dwayne Harris got eight yards on a wide receiver screen to set up a 3rd-and-6.

Houston brought a blitz up the middle and Romo was called for intentional grounding.

Johnson gained 20 yards on a bubble screen and Fitzpatrick fired a 19-yard completion to Hopkins along the right sideline on a back-shoulder throw to put the ball at the Dallas 6. The Texans hurried to the line after Foster picked up five yards, and Foster walked in for the easy game-tying score with 41 ticks left.

The Texans almost left too much time for Dallas. Murray had receptions of eight, 16, and 14 yards in a four-play span to put the ball at the Houston 45 with 12 seconds on the clock. Bryant's eight-yard catch got Dallas into field- goal range, but Bailey's boot hooked wide left.

Dallas' defense held the Texans to just four first downs in the first half, but the Cowboys turned the ball over twice. Murray lost a fumble in the red zone and Harris fumbled on a punt.

Bailey's 33-yard field goal with 11 seconds in the half opened the scoring.

Foster ran for 55 yards on Houston's opening touch of the third, finishing off the drive with a 15-yard TD sprint off left tackle.

Dallas answered right back. Romo spun away from a J.J. Watt would-be sack and hooked up with Terrance Williams for a 43-yard score to give Dallas a 10-7 lead midway through the third. Jason Witten had a 34-yard catch earlier in the drive for 10,000 receiving yards, the third tight end in NFL history to reach that mark.

Romo's 2-yard TD pass to Bryant early in the fourth made it 17-7.

Game Notes

Witten joined Tony Gonzalez and Shannon Sharpe as the only tight ends to eclipse the 10,000-yard receiving mark ... Dallas was 8-of-14 on third down, while Houston finished 4-of-13 ... The Cowboys outgained the Texans, 456-330.